August 12, 2026 | 01:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The vast majority of the population across the occupied Palestinian territories lacks adequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene, UN humanitarian workers said on Tuesday, August 11.
More than 1.3 million people, or more than half the population, have access to less than 6 liters of water per person per day for drinking and cooking, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as quoted by ANTARA.
OCHA said that according to humanitarian standards, the minimum water requirement in an emergency is 15 liters per person per day, including water for drinking, washing, and cooking.
The office reported that an additional 700,000 people have access to fewer than 9 liters of water per person per day for household use, which limits their ability to maintain personal hygiene, clean their homes, and care for their children.
Three out of four people rely on water supplies from tanker trucks. Humanitarian partners delivered water to more than 2,500 water collection points daily and to more than 100 displacement sites across Gaza last month, OCHA said.
"People face overcrowding at water collection points and lack enough containers to transport water back to their homes -- a task that is often left to children," OCHA said.
Only half of all households have access to basic sanitation, or private facilities that prevent contact with human waste. The other half rely on inadequate or unsafe shared facilities, increasing health risks.
The office added that humanitarian partners collect approximately 80 percent of all solid waste generated in the Gaza Strip. However, more than 900,000 people report still being exposed to waste accumulated in residential areas.
According to OCHA, consistent funding, additional permits to import spare parts, and restored access to landfills in restricted areas remain critical.
Read: Palestine Calls for Protection of Ancient Heritage Sites
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