UNICEF's Water Under Fire finds attacks on water and sanitation systems in conflict have tripled

5 November 2026

The United Nations Children's Fund published Water Under Fire 4.
It covers attacks on water, sanitation and hygiene systems, personnel and communities in 23 countries and territories between January 2021 and June 2026.
Recorded incidents rose from fewer than 45 in eight countries in 2021 to more than 135 in 15 countries in 2025.
The report lists seven kinds of attack. They run from strikes on treatment plants, pipelines and wells, through the poisoning of water sources, to bans on spare parts and chemicals.
In Sudan, only one of the 13 water treatment plants in Khartoum state was fully working by March 2024.
More than 130,000 metres of sewage pipelines in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed since October 2023, and 14 water facility employees were recorded killed in Lebanon during the 2024 conflict.
Where a coordinated response exists, 137.9 million people need help but only 26 per cent of this year's funding has arrived.
Executive Director Catherine Russell said repairs cannot take the place of protecting these facilities under international humanitarian law.