Humanitarian Impacts of the War in Gaza on Basic Services (2026-2027)

Background

The 2023-2025 Israel-Hamas war has created a profound humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to the UN Environment Programme’s 2025 assessment, Gaza’s environmental and public health infrastructure has suffered catastrophic damage that will require decades of recovery. Sewage systems have collapsed, freshwater access is extremely limited and croplands and vegetation have been decimated. Nearly three-fourths of all buildings have been damaged or destroyed, leaving the population at high risk of starvation, disease outbreaks and exposure to toxic debris such as asbestos and chemical waste.

Large-scale facilities such as desalination plants — which international donors had recently invested in — have been destroyed, creating an urgent vacuum in basic service provision. As a result, small, community-driven humanitarian organizations have become central to emergency response efforts. One such NGO, Clean Shelter, has rapidly expanded its operations by working directly with community members in Gaza to provide decentralized water, sanitation and shelter services for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Understanding how to support and strengthen such grassroots humanitarian efforts is crucial as the crisis evolves.

Project Description

This project will continue a growing partnership with Clean Shelter, a Germany-based NGO founded in 2024 by a Palestinian and an Israeli whose work focuses on providing inclusive and sustainable water, sanitation and shelter solutions for IDPs in Gaza.

Because operating conditions change rapidly, student work will be adaptive, community-driven and aligned with Clean Shelter’s evolving needs. The project will include:

Shelter and housing design research
Team members will explore options for immediate and interim IDP shelter that rely only on materials available within Gaza or repurposed locally due to restrictions on “dual-use” construction materials such as cement. Research may include low-cost shelter designs, alternative energy systems that support decentralized Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services and best practices in refugee camp layout and protection of critical infrastructure.

WASH strategies
The team will investigate decentralized, low-cost, small-scale water purification and sanitation systems appropriate for Gaza’s urban density, limited electricity and collapsed wastewater infrastructure.

Operational, fundraising and communication support
Team members may develop fundraising strategies, design awareness campaigns, draft reports or create media and communication materials to help Clean Shelter expand its reach, document its work and engage donors.

Humanitarian learning and partnership-building
Given that students are working within an active conflict setting, the project will incorporate readings, lectures and guest speakers to build contextual understanding of Gaza, humanitarian principles, international law and the protection of critical infrastructure during war.

Students will interact frequently with Clean Shelter leadership through weekly meetings — both virtual and in-person — and ongoing communication via WhatsApp and collaborative work sessions.

Anticipated Outputs

Best-practices reports for IDP shelter design and decentralized WASH systems
Project proposals for water purification or shelter models tailored to Gaza
Fundraising strategies and business plans to support Clean Shelter’s scaling
Media, communication or annual report materials
Synthesis reports and milestone documentation
Student reflections and a culminating presentation at Duke

Student Opportunities

This team will include approximately 3 graduate students and 7 undergraduate students from fields such as environmental studies, engineering, global health, human rights, Middle Eastern studies, public policy and business.

Students will gain experience in:

Humanitarian research and principled, community-driven problem solving
Shelter and WASH system design and evaluation
Understanding international humanitarian law and protection of critical infrastructure
Conducting literature reviews, data collection and policy analysis
Working across engineering, social science, environmental science and human rights fields
Communicating with partners operating under crisis conditions
Developing written and oral communication materials for an NGO audience

Graduate students will take on leadership roles — facilitating smaller team discussions, mentoring undergraduates and supporting project management.

Timing

Summer 2026 – Spring 2027

Summer 2026 (optional):

Continuing students may work on evolving Clean Shelter projects

Fall 2026:

Background reading on Gaza, WASH systems and humanitarian action
Identify project areas with Clean Shelter and begin design and research
Obtain IRB approval if needed

Spring 2027:

Finalize deliverables for Clean Shelter
Present outputs at Duke and prepare synthesis materials

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters