UNICEF: Children at risk of disease and violence from rise in attacks on water systems

Children around the world are at greater risk from disease, malnutrition and violence due to a sharp rise in attacks on water and sanitation systems. Now UNICEF is calling on conflict parties, governments and humanitarian actors to treat those systems as life-saving civilian infrastructure.

According to a new report from the UN Children's Agency, attacks that damaged or destroyed water and sanitation systems in conflict rose threefold between 2021 and 2025.

That deprives children of safe drinking water and exposes them to disease from poor sanitation. The report also documents how children in Gaza have been killed or injured while queuing for water.

Longer more dangerous journeys also raise their risk of sexual violence and take time away from school.

Efforts need to be made to guarantee humanitarian access so that water and energy supplies keep running, UNICEF says.

It also calls for the protection of those who operate and maintain water systems and for all attacks to be systematically documented.