UNITED NATIONS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Aid funding shortfalls for Gaza trigger cutbacks in services, threatening some water-scarce civilians to choose between hygiene and hydration, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that, nearly halfway through 2026, the 4.1 billion U.S. dollars required for the annual appeal for Gaza and the West Bank is less than 15 percent funded.

"As a result, humanitarian partners' ability to plan, pre-position relief and respond effectively is weakening at a time when most of Gaza's 2.1 million people remain displaced and heavily rely on their services," OCHA said in its daily humanitarian news update.

The office said that by the end of May, the shortfall forced four of its humanitarian partners to begin phasing out water trucking in Gaza, leaving more than 330,000 people across 250 sites at risk of losing their primary source of drinking water.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that water shortages force families into a trade-off between drinking and maintaining hygiene to prevent disease.

The number of meals provided by humanitarian partners, as of last week, was 678,000 per day, down from 1.5 million in mid-March, OCHA said. Other affected services include support for agricultural recovery, site management, education and the reopening of safe spaces for women and girls.

"As more services will be suspended without further funding, humanitarians call upon donors to urgently increase their support," the office said. "UN member states are equally urged to press for the lifting of Israeli restrictions that continue to impede aid work."

In the West Bank, OCHA said, systematic harassment and intimidation by Israeli settlers forced 27 herding families out of their residential area near the Ein Fera'a water spring, in Hebron, following the settlers' takeover of a nearby hilltop. The 125-member community included three people with disabilities and more than 20 who have chronic illnesses.

Their forced displacement occurred over two weeks ending this Tuesday. So far, UNICEF has provided them with baby kits and recreational kits as well as hygiene items. More support is underway, including food, tents, kitchen items, health services and cash, said OCHA.

The office said it is the 46th Palestinian community that has been displaced in full since January 2023 due to settler violence and related access restrictions. Overall, more than 6,000 people have been displaced this way since January 2023, including more than 2,000 since January 2026 alone. ■