05/24/2021
New UNICEF report highlights scale and impact of attacks on water and sanitation facilities on children in conflict-affected countries
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/new-unicef-report-highlights-scale-and-impact-attacks-water-and-sanitation
NEW YORK, 25 May 2021, – Attacks on water and sanitation facilities and workers in conflicts around the world continue to put the lives of millions of children at risk and deny children and families access to critical water and sanitation services, UNICEF warned today. In the 9 countries* highlighted in Water Under Fire Volume 3: Attacks on water and sanitation services…, Ukraine, has experienced, four attacks on water infrastructure since the start of the year, with 380 attacks recorded since 2017. Around 3.2 million people need water and sanitation services. Entering its sixth year of protracted conflict,, Yemen, saw 122 airstrikes on water infrastructure between March 2015 to February 2021. Around 15.4 million people urgently need safe water and sanitation as the cholera epidemic continues to make thousands of children ill every week. Since 2019, the, State of Palestine, has seen 95 attacks against 142 water and sanitation infrastructures. More than 1.6 million people live without access to these basic services. The decades-long fragility of, Iraq, has resulted in massive damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure, leaving 1.85 million people cut off from regular access to lifesaving drinking water and safe sanitation. In, Syria, , around 12.2 million people need access to water and sanitation due to heavy infrastructure damage over the past 10 years of conflict. To urgently protect children in conflict and guarantee access to safe and sufficient water, UNICEF is calling for: , All parties to conflict, to immediately stop attacks on water and sanitation services and personnel, and fulfil their obligations to protect children in conflict, including protecting water and sanitation infrastructure;, States, , including Security Council members, to take firmer action to hold the perpetrators of these attacks to account;, Donors, to invest in water and sanitation in conflict situations, as it is the first line of defense against communicable diseases;, Public, to join our call to action to end attacks on children in conflict and add their voice to protect water and sanitation infrastructure and water workers. UNICEF works in conflict-affected countries to protect children and provide safe drinking water and adequate sanitation services through improving and repairing water systems, trucking water,…, Notes to editors:, *Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen Due to conflict in eastern Ukraine, nine-year-old Sasha has never had running water at her home. Instead, she must collect water from the river. UNICEF/UN0243129/Morris VII Photo Due to conflict in eastern Ukraine, nine-year-old Sasha has never had running…
