The situation is most serious in the West and Central African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Somalia. Many of these countries suffer from political instability and armed conflict. This makes it even more difficult for young children to access clean water and sanitary facilities.
But the problems are also great elsewhere on the African continent. “Africa is facing a water catastrophe,” said Sanjay Wijesekera of UNICEF. “Climate and water-related disasters are on the rise all over the world. But nowhere are the risks for children so great. Devastating storms, floods and historic droughts are already destroying all kinds of amenities and homes. They pollute water sources, lead to hunger crises and spread disease. But as difficult as the current circumstances are, without urgent measures the future could look even more bleak.
Wednesday is World Water Day. A UN water conference will also start on that day in New York. According to the United Nations, as many as two billion people worldwide do not always have access to clean drinking water.