Gaza is facing an unprecedented water crisis, with less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available in northern Gaza and Rafah, according to Oxfam.

After fifteen months of relentless Israeli military attacks, the enclave’s water and sanitation networks have been decimated, leaving hundreds of thousands of people struggling to access clean water.

Oxfam warned that despite a recent increase in aid, the situation remains dire, and immediate action is needed to prevent a full-scale public health disaster.

The UK-based charity said destruction has been staggering, with nearly 1,700 kilometers of water and sanitation pipelines obliterated. In northern Gaza, where the damage is most severe, almost all water wells have been wiped out. Over 700,000 displaced people who have returned to the area find themselves without clean water, as storage tanks on rooftops have also been destroyed. In Rafah, only two out of thirty-five water wells are operational, with water production plummeting to below five percent of pre-conflict levels.

The lack of clean water is fueling a surge in diseases. According to Oxfam, untreated sewage has been spilling into the streets, contaminating what little water is available.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 88% of environmental samples tested in Gaza have been contaminated with polio, raising fears of an imminent outbreak. Waterborne diseases such as acute watery diarrhea and respiratory infections have surged, with an estimated 46,000 cases reported weekly—most of them among children. Skin infections, including chickenpox and scabies, are also spreading rapidly, particularly in displacement camps.

Oxfam and its partners report that more than 80% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has been either partially or completely destroyed. This includes all six of the territory’s major wastewater treatment plants and the majority of sewage pumping stations. Small desalination plants, which many residents rely on for drinking water, have also been severely impacted. The destruction of pipelines means that an estimated 60% of available water is leaking into the ground rather than reaching those in need.

Despite some improvements since the ceasefire, Israel continues to block essential materials required for repairs. Oxfam’s shipment of 85 tons of water pipes, fittings, and tanks—valued at nearly half a million dollars—has been delayed for over six months. Without urgent access to these critical supplies, efforts to restore Gaza’s water infrastructure remain paralyzed.

Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza, Clémence Lagouardat, has called on Israel to lift these restrictions, stating that the current blockade is impeding life-saving efforts.

The crisis is further exacerbated by the massive accumulation of garbage, with over 2,000 tons of waste rotting in the streets due to the destruction of sanitation services. The combination of open sewage, contaminated water, and uncollected waste is creating the perfect conditions for a deadly outbreak.

In refugee camps, makeshift cesspits have become a last resort, discharging around 130,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage into Gaza’s only groundwater sources and the Mediterranean Sea.

Oxfam has reiterated that without a permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid, rebuilding Gaza’s water and sanitation systems will remain impossible.

The organization has urged the international community to push for immediate action to prevent further deterioration of the crisis. “Rebuilding water and sanitation infrastructure is crucial for Gaza to return to normality after 15 months of terror,” Lagouardat emphasized. “The ceasefire must hold, and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives.”