The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has issued a dire warning about the state of Gaza’s water infrastructure, saying the territory is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as water systems collapse under Israeli bombardment and fuel restrictions.

According to a statement posted by the agency on social media, only 40% of Gaza’s drinking water production facilities remain functional. Fuel shortages, broken pipelines, and inaccessible well sites have severely hampered water extraction and distribution efforts.

“Extracting water from wells has stopped due to fuel shortages. Other wells are in dangerous or inaccessible areas. Pipelines are broken and leaking, and water tankers often do not arrive,” the agency reported.

UNRWA stated it is now supplying only half the amount of water it was able to provide during the previous ceasefire period, due in large part to a more than 100-day Israeli ban on fuel entry into the enclave.

The agency stressed the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, warning that the continued destruction of infrastructure combined with displacement and lack of basic resources could soon lead to mass dehydration and disease outbreaks among Gaza’s already vulnerable population.

The warnings come as Israeli military operations continue across the Gaza Strip, displacing hundreds of thousands and severely limiting access to essential services, including water, food, and medical aid.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for international intervention to restore basic services and allow for the safe and sustained delivery of aid to the enclave’s 2.3 million residents. (ILKHA)