Displaced Palestinians in Gaza are relying on communal and makeshift toilets as damaged homes, import restrictions and shortages of sanitation supplies make private facilities difficult to obtain.
For families living in tents, the problem is not only inconvenience: toilets can lack privacy, be inaccessible to people with illnesses or disabilities, and stand close to spaces used for eating, sleeping and washing.
How families are adapting
Eman Mahmoud Shamia, 33, lives in a camp with her husband, Yahya Shamia, 50, and their five children, all under 11. After being displaced several times since the war began in October 2023, the family settled in a tent where a community-built “municipal toilet” offers little privacy. Shamia said the makeshift facility is difficult for her husband, who has advanced lung cancer, to use.
Some Palestinians are cutting holes into plastic chairs and placing sand underneath to create basic toilets. A used toilet seat is reported to cost between 1,500 and 2,000 shekels, while Mohammad Al-Hanouti said he had been saving for a toilet seat for an unfinished apartment without proper plumbing. He estimated that basic necessities for the apartment would cost about $2,000.
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Why private toilets are scarce
Economist Omar Salouha described the situation as a severe supply shock caused by restrictions on importing toilets, sanitation supplies and plumbing materials. Demand has risen sharply as more than nine in 10 Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced and more than 90 percent of homes have been damaged or destroyed during the war.
Communal toilets are therefore the main option for many residents, with one facility sometimes serving 20 or 25 people. They often lack separate areas for men and women, proper sinks and taps, toilet paper and hand sanitiser. In some camps, limited sewage networks mean residents dig pits beside toilets to dispose of wastewater; in some areas, water is available only once a week.
Sanitation and health risks
A WASH assessment by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that only half of surveyed people in Gaza had access to basic sanitation. About 60 percent were exposed to wastewater or human waste within 10 metres of where they lived.
More context: Israeli minister urges killing 30 to 40 Palestinians nightly in Gaza.
Dr Ahmed Al-Jedi of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah said children, women and older people were arriving with recurring diarrhoea, skin diseases and gastrointestinal problems. He linked many cases to inadequate bathing and hygiene facilities, overcrowded tent conditions and toilets located close to living areas.
Hossam Al-Huwaity, a spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce, said traders were being encouraged to submit import requests for sanitation supplies. The chamber has also appealed to UNICEF, the World Food Programme, OCHA, the European Union and WASH organisations, but he said requests remained delayed at crossings because of restrictions on commercial imports.
Also read: War leaves Gaza cemeteries packed as families recover the dead.
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