Executive Summary
This UNICEF report details the increasing frequency and types of attacks on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, services, and personnel in armed conflicts globally between 2021 and 2026. It identifies seven categories of attacks, highlighting their devastating impact on children's health, survival, and development. The report calls for stronger protection of WASH infrastructure and systematic monitoring of such incidents.
Why It Matters
This report provides critical insights into the weaponization and destruction of essential civilian infrastructure in conflict zones, which directly impacts civilian populations and can exacerbate humanitarian crises, influencing regional stability and post-conflict recovery efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Attacks on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, services, and personnel are increasing in frequency and type across global armed conflicts.
Source evidence · PDF page 10
Water and sanitation systems and services – indispensable for children’s health, development and survival – and the personnel who keep them functioning are increasingly exposed to attack, damage, destruction and obstruction.
- Seven distinct categories of attacks on WASH infrastructure and personnel have been identified, ranging from kinetic destruction to contamination and denial of access.
Source evidence · PDF page 32
Kinetic (use of physical force) or cyber actions that damage, destroy or disrupt water and sanitation systems and services.
- There is an urgent need for systematic monitoring and reporting of attacks on WASH in conflict to inform advocacy, political decisions, and operational responses.
Source evidence · PDF page 25
One of the five calls to action to enhance the protection of water systems in conflict presented in this report is for data on attacks harming WASH in conflict to be systematically monitored and reported on, to generate consistent and comparable information across countries and over time.
Strategic Relevance
The systematic targeting and destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure in conflict zones represent a critical challenge to international humanitarian law and civilian protection. This trend has long-term strategic implications for public health, forced displacement, and the stability of affected regions, potentially fueling further conflict and hindering peacebuilding efforts.