Less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available to Rafah and North Gaza, worsening a health catastrophe

February 18, 2025

– Nearly 1,700 kilometres of water and sanitation networks have been destroyed

– Big-ticket repairs of networks urgently needed but Israeli government balks in approving supplies

The resumption of aid into Gaza, including fuel to operate undamaged water and sanitation facilities along with water trucking, has improved the amount of water available to people in some parts of Gaza. But the picture remains extremely bleak and dangerously critical, especially in the North Gaza and Rafah governorates, warned Oxfam today.

Fifteen months of Israel’s military assault has destroyed 1,675 kilometres of water and sanitation networks. In North Gaza and Rafah governorates, which have suffered the most destruction, less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels is available to people, heightening the spread of waterborne diseases.

As fragile ceasefire negotiations hang in the balance, any renewed violence or disruption to fuel and the already inadequate aid would trigger a full-scale public health disaster.

Carlos Calderon, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Head of Partnerships and Humanitarian said:

“No human can survive more than a few days without water. In Gaza, over two million people are being forced to drink from unsafe sources, while overflowing sewage networks create a breeding ground for deadly diseases we once conquered. This is a second humanitarian catastrophe in the making. What we do next will define who we are as a society.”

Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza said:

“Now that the bombs have stopped, we have only just begun to grasp the sheer scale of destruction to Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Most vital water and sanitation networks have been entirely lost or paralyzed, which is creating catastrophic hygiene and health conditions.

“Our staff and partners have told how people are stopping them in the streets asking for water, and that parents are not drinking to save water for their children. It is heartbreaking to hear about children having to walk for miles for a single jerrycan of water.”

In the North Gaza governorate, almost all water wells have been destroyed by the Israeli military. Over 700,000 people have returned to find entire neighbourhoods wiped out. For the few whose homes remain standing, water is non-existent due to the destruction of rooftop storage tanks.

In Rafah, over 90 percent of water wells and reservoirs have been partially or completely damaged, and water production is less than five percent of its capacity before the conflict. Only two out of 35 wells are currently operational.

Despite efforts to resume water production since the ceasefire, the destruction of Gaza’s water pipelines means that 60 percent of water is leaking into the ground rather than reaching people.

Oxfam and partners’ initial assessment after the ceasefire found:

– More than 80 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure across the Gaza Strip has been partially or entirely destroyed, including all six major wastewater treatment plants.

– 85 percent of the sewage pumping stations (73 out of 84) and networks have been destroyed. Some have been repaired but urgently require fuel to operate.

– 85 percent of small desalination plants (85 out of 103) have been partially damaged or completely destroyed.

– 67 percent of the 368 municipal wells have been destroyed. Most of the private small wells cannot function due to lack of fuel or generators.

The lack of safe water, combined with untreated sewage overflowing in the streets has triggered an explosion of waterborne and infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, 88 percent of environmental samples surveyed across Gaza were found contaminated with polio, signalling an imminent risk of outbreak. Infectious diseases including acute watery diarrhoea and respiratory infections – now the leading causes of death – are also surging, with 46,000 cases, mostly children, being reported each week.

Chickenpox and skin diseases such as scabies and impetigo are also spreading rapidly, particularly among displaced populations in the Northern Gaza Governorate, where water shortages are most severe.

Meanwhile, with no waste collection and transport for over 15 months, more than 2,000 tonnes of garbage has been piling up in the streets every day. This toxic combination of open sewage, uncollected waste and contaminated water is creating a perfect storm for a deadly disease outbreak.

Lagouardat said: “Despite the increase in aid since the ceasefire, Israel continues to severely impair critical items needed to begin repairing the massive structural damage from its airstrikes. This includes desperately needed pipes for repairing water and sanitation networks, equipment like generators to operate wells.”

Oxfam’s own 85 tonne-shipment of water pipes, fittings and water tanks – worth over $480,000 – had been held up for over six months because it was deemed as dual-use and “oversized” to enter. Israeli authorities only finally approved the shipment this week, although it has yet to enter.

Lagouardat said: “Hundreds of thousands of displaced people across the Gaza Strip have had to resort to digging makeshift cesspits next to their tents. This daily discharge of approximately 130,000 cubic meters – the equivalent of 52 Olympic pools – of untreated sewage is contaminating the Mediterranean Sea and Gaza’s only aquifer.

“Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. Lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis can only come through a permanent ceasefire and a just solution.”

Notes to the editor

– Oxfam has recent photos and footage of water and sanitation destruction in Gaza and can be downloaded HERE (valid until 14 May 25)

– According to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) as of February 2025, a total of 1675 km out of 4,800 km of Gaza’s water and sanitation networks have been partially or entirely destroyed since October 2023. This includes 350km in North Gaza, 495km in Gaza City, 240 Km in the Middle area, 350km in Khan Younis, and 240km in Rafah respectively.

– Data on water and sanitation destruction is based on the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) Rapid Damage Assessment Report, January 2025.

– Data on cost of infrastructure repair is based on Gaza Municipality Planning and Investment Unit report of December 31, 2024.

– According to Oxfam’s Water War Crime s report, the Gaza population had access to 82.7 litres per person per day before 7 October 2023. Currently Rafah has less than five percent of that amount; and North Gaza governorates have less than seven percent of that amount, or 5.7 litres per person per day.

– According to the 10 Feb 2025 WASH Cluster report: only two (out of 35) wells in Rafah are currently operational.

– Acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in children under five years old was reported to be 13,179 cases. This accounts for approximately 54% of the total registered cases of AWD. Also, 21 out of 24 Polio environmental surveyed samples across Gaza (88%) were positive. Source: Polio Global Eradication Initiative (WHO & UN) on 1 Feb 2025

– UNOSAT latest data collected on 1 December 2024 identified 60,368 destroyed structures, 20,050 severely damaged structures, 56,292 moderately damaged structures, and 34,102 possibly damaged structures for a total of 170,812 structures. The governorates of North Gaza and Rafah have experienced the highest rise in damage compared to the 6 September 2024 analysis, with around 3,138 new structures damaged in North Gaza and around 3,054 in Rafah. Within North Gaza, Jabalya municipality had the highest number of newly damaged structures, totalling 1,339.

Nearly half a million people left without shelter, food or water in DR Congo amid destruction of displacement sites and aid cuts

February 14, 2025

Oxfam warns of an alarming humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC as aid groups struggle to respond in the face of funding cuts ripple effects.

Over 450,000 people are left without shelter, food or water in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the destruction of thirteen displacements sites in Goma, Oxfam warns. The crisis is increasingly alarming following the takeover of Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu while funding cuts hinder the capacity of remaining humanitarian organisations to respond.

A surge in fighting has forced thousands of people to leave the displacement sites, many of which were destroyed or looted in the aftermath of the conflict. Many are now seeking shelter in overcrowded churches and schools in Goma. Many families are going back to their villages, only to find their house in shamble and struggling with immense needs. The fall of Bukavu has triggered mass population movement, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

An Oxfam staff member in Minova, located 45 km south-west of Goma, said: “The displaced people are returning en masse, there’s a lot of movement and the needs are enormous because the response has to be put in place and it will take time. Many are afraid to return to the village where they have already been attacked. People are traumatized. 25 cases of cholera have been recorded this week. There’s also Mpox. It’s a catastrophe. People are going to die.”

The ripple effects of the US funding cuts are dramatically affecting these communities, because USAID was the leading donor in the DRC and most aid groups were relying on their funding to provide lifesaving aid.

“We are forced to repair shattered equipment while people in desperate need go without help. Even worse, when the sites are finally up and running again, we may still be unable to assist them, as US aid cuts have put everything at risk. Unless the international community steps in, this crisis will spiral beyond control,” said Manenji Mangundu, Country Director of Oxfam in DRC. 

Three displacement sites in Rusayo (Goma), where Oxfam provides assistance to over 100,000 people, have been completely emptied. Water tanks, latrines, showers and the water pipes were destroyed and septic tanks were left open. With little access to clean water and hygiene sanitation, the health risks are increasing as cases of measles, cholera and mpox spread, straining and already fragile healthcare system.

Families and communities are also struggling to get cash to buy food or return home. Following intense fighting over the last weeks, banks in Goma remain closed and money agents are operating at limited capacity. On top, prices are skyrocketing and pushing many families to the limit.

Contact information:

Rachel Schaevitz | [email protected]

Notes to editors:

The M23 takeover of Bukavu comes as African leaders convene at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa today (Saturday). The crisis has triggered massive population movements, with thousands fleeing their homes in the early hours of Friday, February 14.
In DRC, Oxfam works in Goma, Minova, Masisi, Lubero, Beni, and Mahagi. Oxfam staff reports that thirteen displacement sites in Goma, hosting 450,000 people have been emptied and subsequently destroyed, looted or dismantled. The destroyed sites are: Baraka, Buhimba, Bulengo, 8th Cepac Mugunga, Kayarucinya, Kibati, Lushagala, Lushagala Extension, Lwashi, Rego, Rusayo 1, Rusayo 2 and Rusayo Extension.
Oxfam is working to restore critical infrastructure and treating septic tanks to help provide water and sanitation to the affected communities of Goma. The effects of the USAID funding cuts hinder urgent response for 300,000 people displaced in and around Goma with urgent clean water, food and protection services for women and girls. Long-term funding for humanitarian agencies to support affected families remains uncertain.
The DRC continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of the Mpox outbreak, which has claimed lives further straining an already fragile healthcare system
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the leading humanitarian donor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Last year report indicated that it provided over $838 million in Fiscal Year 2024 alone, which includes $414 million specifically for humanitarian needs resulting from ongoing conflict and displacement
Photos of abandoned sites and destroyed infrastructure are available on request.

Oxfam America joins lawsuit to defend USAID

February 14, 2025

Today, Oxfam America, an organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice, joined the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees in their lawsuit to defend USAID and U.S. foreign assistance from the Trump administration’s illegal assault. The three organizations are represented in the case by lawyers at Public Citizen Litigation Group and Democracy Forward Foundation. The administration’s attack on USAID has cut off lifesaving support including food, water, medicine, sanitation and more, and is already having life or death consequences for millions around the world.

As the complaint explains, by imposing stop work orders, freezing funding, putting staff on leave or terminating them entirely, and other actions, the Trump Administration has cost thousands of Americans their jobs and threatened U.S. national security interests. Oxfam America is joining this suit to emphasize how the suspension of foreign assistance has exacerbated existing humanitarian crises and placed an inordinate burden on it and other humanitarian organizations to make up a $63 billion shortfall. Without U.S. foreign assistance, millions of people could be left without clean water, sanitation services, medicine, education, shelter, protection, or other essential emergency relief in disaster and conflict areas around the world. Oxfam America’s partners and other humanitarian organizations will lose funding, our resources will be overstretched, and services that only USAID can offer will be permanently shut down.

Closing USAID without congressional authorization is unconstitutional: the President does not have the authority to dismantle an agency created by Congress. In addition to violating the separation of powers, shuttering USAID contravenes the Appropriations Act, which explicitly restricts the ability of the executive to reorganize USAID, and requires any attempt to terminate funding to receive approval from Congress.

“The Trump administration’s illegal assault on USAID is already having life-threatening, wide-ranging impacts, particularly on the millions of people around the world who are living through unimaginable crisis and who rely on urgent action to survive,” said Abby Maxman, President and CEO of Oxfam America. “Oxfam America, like every organization and corner of the aid sector, is affected by this – whether directly by U.S. funding being cut, UN funds being impacted, or as resources and priorities are forced to change due to this new and uncertain reality. A president cannot unilaterally overturn the Constitution or U.S. law in order to shut down federal agencies. We need critical programs to go forward with all the necessary resources, and we need the U.S. to keep playing a leading role in saving lives around the world.”

“The illegal and immoral attempt to dismantle USAID would have grave impacts across the globe,” said Lauren Bateman, attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group. “Without court intervention, the actions of the Trump administration will have deadly consequences for millions, while undermining the constitutional role of Congress in establishing and funding the agency.”

Find the complaint here.

Oxfam America fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive. The future is equal. Join us at oxfamamerica.org.

/ENDS

Oxfam Aotearoa responds to New Zealand’s Climate Target

January 31, 2025

“New Zealand’s climate target for 2035 fails to show our commitment to stand with the Pacific and stop climate harm” said Oxfam Aotearoa Climate Justice Lead, Nick Henry.

The New Zealand Government has just announced its climate target for 2035 under the Paris Agreement. New Zealand is obliged to set a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) that shows ‘maximum possible ambition’ to reduce climate-harming emissions. The NDC must also show progress from the 2030 target.

New Zealand’s first NDC committed to net emissions in 2030 being 50% less than gross emissions in 2005. The new target for 2035 commits to 51-55% reductions in the same terms.

“While other countries around the world are making real progress, committing to 60 and 70% reductions by 2035, New Zealand offers a paltry additional 1-5% from their 2030 goal.”

‘The new target stretches the meaning of “progress” to a breaking point and fails to show the “maximum possible ambition” that our Government promised.’

‘We are at a critical point for the Pacific as global heating creeps closer to 1.5 degrees. Our Government should be standing with the communities most affected and leading global efforts to stop the climate crisis getting worse.’

Hundreds of thousands of people flee from renewed fighting in North Kivu, straining humanitarian efforts.

January 28, 2025

Renewed fighting around the North Kivu capital of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has led to a catastrophic escalation of the humanitarian crisis displacing hundreds of thousands of people — many of whom had already endured multiple displacements before — to flee once again in search of safety.

As violence intensifies, families have sought shelters in schools and churches in and around Goma city, where they face inadequate shelter and the lack of essential basic social services including humanitarian aid.

“Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave behind whatever little they had managed to salvage on displacement sites,” said Manenji Mangundu, Country Director of Oxfam in DRC.

“Many are seeking shelter in churches, schools, and other makeshift shelters in Goma which are far from safe or adequate. The most basic needs for survival — food, clean water, medical care, blankets and protection — are in short supply, and humanitarian aid is yet to reach them.” added Manenji.

Artillery shelling in areas already housing displaced families has caused panic among them, nearly emptying one of the displacements sites around Goma that were already home to more than 600,000 people. Another 178,000 people escaped the recent clashes outside Goma.

Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children have fled into the urban center of Goma, where local infrastructure cannot meet their needs.

The displaced population in Goma now face dire conditions that threaten their health, safety, and well-being. Without proper shelter and access to critical resources, the risk of disease outbreaks including the Mpox virus which has already claimed countless lives in the country further compounds to their trauma.

“Every day, the situation is getting worse. We are seeing firsthand the devastating impact that this conflict is having on vulnerable communities. Some of these families have been displaced for the seventh time, with no immediate means of support. This situation is unsustainable,” said Manenji.

The worsening humanitarian crisis comes as newly sworn in US president Trump announced a 90- day suspension of foreign development assistance. This policy could have significant implications for a country like DRC which is grappling with escalating hunger and repetitive displacements.

Oxfam is working to provide people with clean water, non-food items but the scale of their needs is overwhelming and the worsening insecurity is making it difficult to reach the affected families. Oxfam is calling for immediate international support to ensure that these vulnerable families are not left behind.

END

Note to editors

According to the official figures, as of March 31, 2024, some 2.67 million people were displaced in North Kivu, including around 600,000 in and around Goma.
According to estimates made by humanitarian actors at a crisis meeting held on January 20 in Minova, more than 178,000 people would be newly displaced in the area between January 04 and 20, 2025 as a result of the recent clashes.
The DRC continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of the Mpox outbreak, which has claimed lives further straining an already fragile healthcare system.

CONTACT

Rachel Schaevitz | [email protected]

Takers not Makers: The unjust poverty and unearned wealth from colonialism

January 21, 2025

Billionaire wealth has risen three times faster in 2024 than 2023. Five trillionaires are now expected within a decade. Meanwhile, crises of economy, climate and conflict mean the number of people living in poverty has barely changed since 1990.

Most billionaire wealth is taken, not earned – 60% comes from either inheritance, cronyism and corruption or monopoly power. Our deeply unequal world has a long history of colonial domination which has largely benefited the richest people. The poorest, racialized people, women and marginalized groups have and continue to be systematically exploited at huge human cost.

Today’s world remains colonial in many ways. The average Belgian has 180 times more voting power in the World Bank than the average Ethiopian. This system still extracts wealth from the Global South to the superrich 1% in the Global North at a rate of US$30million an hour.

This must be reversed. Reparations must be made to those who were brutally enslaved and colonised. Our modern-day colonial economic system must be made radically more equal to end poverty. The cost should be borne by the richest people who benefit the most.

Read the report here.