A new analysis by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that 78 million children in Nigeria are at the highest risk from a convergence of three water-related threats – inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), related diseases and climate hazards.
In a statement issued by UNICEF, Nigeria Chief of WASH, Dr Jane Bevan, she said as world leaders and relevant organisations convened for the historic UN Water Conference yesterday, water-related crises are endangering the lives of 78 million children in Nigeria. Bevan called on all stakeholders to take urgent actions to address the water crisis in Nigeria.
She said, “In Nigeria, one-third of children do not have access to at least basic water at home, and two-thirds do not have basic sanitation services. Hand hygiene is also limited, with three-quarters of children unable to wash their hands due to lack of water and soap at home. As a result, Nigeria is one of the 10 countries that carry the heaviest burden of child deaths from diseases caused by inadequate WASH, such as diarrhea diseases.”
Nigeria according to UNICEF also ranks second out of 163 countries globally with the highest risk of exposure to climate and environmental threats. Groundwater levels are also dropping, requiring some communities to dig wells twice as deep as just a decade ago.
UNICEF also said, at the same time, rainfall has become more erratic and intense, leading to floods that contaminate scarce water supplies.
Bevan continued: “I believe we need to rapidly scale-up investment in the sector, including from global climate financing, strengthen climate resilience in the WASH sector and communities, increase effective and accountable systems, coordination, and capacities to provide water and sanitation services, and implement the UN-Water SDG6 Global Acceleration Framework.”
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