The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced on Wednesday that 67% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has been either destroyed or significantly damaged since October 7.

UNRWA emphasized the critical need for immediate action, pointing out that the combination of rising temperatures and the spread of infectious diseases due to poor hygiene and dehydration presents a severe health threat to the population of Gaza.

The agency underlined its crucial role in delivering essential services to registered Palestinian refugees, noting that the recent infrastructure destruction has worsened an already vulnerable situation, leaving many without access to clean water and sanitation.

“As infectious diseases continue to spread and temperatures rise, the lack of hygiene and dehydration pose a severe threat to the health of people across Gaza,” UNRWA said in a statement on X.

In defiance of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has persisted with its military operations in Gaza, leading to widespread international condemnation.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7, local health authorities report that nearly 37,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, with over 85,400 injured.

Now more than eight months into the conflict, large areas of Gaza are in ruins, suffering from an ongoing blockade that severely restricts access to food, clean water, and medical supplies.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accused Israel of genocide and recently mandated an immediate halt to its military actions in Rafah, a southern city where over a million Palestinians had sought safety before it was invaded on May 6.