One in Four People Worldwide Lack Access to Clean Drinking Water
WHO and UNICEF report highlights stark inequalities in water, sanitation, and hygiene access, especially in low-income countries and rural areas
The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have revealed that one in four people globally do not have access to safely managed drinking water. The announcement comes as part of a comprehensive report released during World Water Week in Geneva. While the past decade has seen some progress, billions of people still lack essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
According to the joint report, there are significant inequalities in access, with rural communities, children, and minority groups in low-income and fragile regions facing the most severe challenges. People living in the least developed countries are said to be at twice the risk of lacking safe water compared to those in other nations, and are three times more likely to lack hygiene services. The data shows over two billion people go without safe drinking water and three and a half billion people lack access to proper sanitation.
Officials from the WHO emphasized that water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental human rights, urging that the most marginalized communities must be prioritized. UNICEF representative Cecilia Scharp also called for urgent action to protect children’s health and future. Both organizations stressed that achieving sustainable development goals requires immediate and decisive action on a global scale.
