26.5 million Nigerian children lack access to water: UNICEF
UNICEF: Nigerian children thirsty
Nearly one-third of Nigerian children lack access to enough water, the UN children's agency UNICEF said Monday, calling for urgent measures to address the problem.
"This means that one in five children worldwide do not have enough water to meet their everyday needs," it said.
"The figures in Nigeria are particularly worrying, with 26.5 million Nigerian children experiencing high or extremely high water vulnerability - or 29 percent of Nigerian children," the UN body said.
About 100,000 Nigerian children are said to die annually of water-related diseases.
"The world's water crisis is not coming - it is here, and children are its biggest victims," said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF's representative in Nigeria.
"When wells dry up, children are the ones missing school to fetch water. When droughts diminish food supplies, children suffer from malnutrition and stunting. When floods hit, children fall ill from waterborne illnesses. And when water is not available in Nigerian communities, children cannot wash their hands to fight off diseases," Hawkins added.
A general view of Nigeria Photo: VCG
In a statement marking World Water Day, UNICEF said more than 1.42 billion people - including 450 million children - are living in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability in the world."This means that one in five children worldwide do not have enough water to meet their everyday needs," it said.
"The figures in Nigeria are particularly worrying, with 26.5 million Nigerian children experiencing high or extremely high water vulnerability - or 29 percent of Nigerian children," the UN body said.
About 100,000 Nigerian children are said to die annually of water-related diseases.
"The world's water crisis is not coming - it is here, and children are its biggest victims," said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF's representative in Nigeria.
"When wells dry up, children are the ones missing school to fetch water. When droughts diminish food supplies, children suffer from malnutrition and stunting. When floods hit, children fall ill from waterborne illnesses. And when water is not available in Nigerian communities, children cannot wash their hands to fight off diseases," Hawkins added.
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