Water aid for Gaza: the clean water crisis and how to help

Does Gaza have clean water?

Not enough of it. The ICRC reported in June 2026 that water production had fallen to around 40% of pre-October 2023 levels, and that authorities could barely ensure six litres a day reached everyone who needed it. That is below the 7.5-litre survival baseline, let alone the 15 to 20 litres recommended for drinking, cooking and hygiene.

UNICEF found that 82% of families were water insecure, and in September 2026 OCHA reported that 91% of assessed households faced moderate to high water insecurity, with many dependent on water trucking.

Supply has since tightened. On 2 October 2026 OCHA reported that output from the two seawater desalination plants in southern Gaza had fallen to its lowest levels for lack of spare parts and equipment, raising concerns for the drinking water of about 500,000 people in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Trucking fills part of the gap: 68 agencies were delivering an average of 24,995 cubic metres of drinking water a day through 3,199 collection points.

Why water is so hard to restore

Gaza's water depends on desalination plants, wells and a pipe network, and all three need things that are in short supply:

• Chemicals and spare parts. UNICEF reported that seawater desalination output fell from 20,000 m³ a day in March 2026 to 16,000 m³ because of shortages of chemicals and spare parts.
• Engine oil, lubricants and fuel to run pumps, generators and trucks.
• Access. A critical water-trucking route remained inaccessible in mid-2026.
• Repairs. Damaged networks need pipes and materials, some of which are restricted from entering.

What water aid involves

Most water aid in Gaza falls into a few types of work:

• Water trucking: tankers deliver treated or desalinated water to displacement sites and shelters.
• Desalination: running and supplying plants and small units that turn seawater or brackish groundwater into drinking water.
• Repairs: fixing wells, pumps and pipe networks so water can flow without trucks.
• Storage and distribution: tanks and water points at displacement sites.
• Hygiene and sanitation: soap, hygiene kits, latrines and waste management, which matter as much as drinking water for preventing disease.

Donating a water truck, tank or well

Many appeals let you fund a specific item, such as a truckload of water or a storage tank. These can be good ways to give, as long as the appeal tells you what the price covers (how many litres, delivered where, how often) and reports back on delivery. Be cautious with appeals that promise new wells without explaining how the water will be tested and treated, or how the materials will get in.