Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
Safe water and good hygiene keep children alive.
Overview | What we do | Reports | Data | News
Billions of people around the world still lack access to safe drinking water, basic toilets and good hygiene. For children – more susceptible to infectious disease than adults – the consequences can be fatal.
Hundreds of children under the age of 5 die every day from diarrhoeal diseases that could have been prevented by basic WASH services in their homes, health centres and schools. Millions more find themselves missing out on essential nutrients or education – too often home sick from unsafe drinking water.
Children living in urban settlements and rural areas are more likely than others to be cut off from clean water and sanitation. So too are those growing up in places affected by climate change: From droughts to floods to heat waves, extreme weather events are making water sources less safe as they become more scarce.
During humanitarian emergencies, children already suffering life-threatening experiences are forced, also, to contend with waterborne risks. In fact, children living in conflict zones are almost 20 times more likely to die from diarrhoeal disease than from the violence itself.
What we do
UNICEF works in over 100 countries to help provide access to clean water and reliable sanitation, and to promote basic hygiene practices that keep children safe from infectious disease. We partner with governments, civil society organizations and communities themselves to construct and rehabilitate WASH facilities, bringing climate-resilient services straight to children in need.
In schools and health centres, UNICEF installs water pumps and sanitation facilities so children stay hydrated and healthy. We design all WASH facilities to be accessible for children living with disabilities, and to support the menstrual hygiene needs of girls so they don't have to miss out on school.
During humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF trucks supplies for clean water and safe hygiene to affected areas and settlement camps, providing a first line of defense against disease and malnutrition. We also strengthen the capacity of local WASH partners to prepare for and respond to crises.
Our work focuses on technical assistance to governments for the maintenance of WASH infrastructure, as well as on the development of national standards, policies and hygiene protocols for WASH in schools and health centres.
No matter where we reach children, we make our programmes sustainable and our facilities accessible to all.
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