UNICEF has highlighted that one in five children does not have access to water that could meet their needs.

“The world’s water crisis is not coming – it is here, and children are its biggest victims,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, while marking the World Water Day.

The UN agency noted that when wells dried up, children missed school to fetch water.

Mr Hawkins added, “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.”

According to UNICEF’s analysis, 26.5 million Nigerian children are at risk of water scarcity and prone to high water vulnerability.

The study, which is under the Water Security for All initiative, highlighted the regions where the lack of physical water bodies or supply coincided with poor water service levels. There is dependence on surface water in the communities, unimproved water sources, and water that can take more than 30 minutes to collect.

The study covered 80 countries, spanning the rest of the continent, South Asia, and the Middle East.

It noted 37 “hotspot” countries where children face the worst of water insecurity and need urgent action. These countries include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Tanzania, and Yemen.

Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime partnered UNICEF to conduct a WASH NORM study to monitor and strengthen the Ministry of Water Resources’ affairs and its partners.

The study showed that over 86 per cent of Nigeria’s 200 million people lack access to properly managed drinking water sources. Only nine litres of water on average are available daily to a Nigerian.