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| ("Water Security") |
The
United Nation’s website states that “80 per cent of diseases in developing
countries are caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation” (“Access…”). In areas
that lack access to clean water, what they need to survive may also kill them.
Though food is scarce and education is lacking, life without water does not
exist. The countries, according to a study done by Maplecroft, a global risk analytic company, with the worst access to a clean, sanitary water supply are Somalia, Mauritania, Sudan, Niger, and Iraq ("Water Security").
In Somalia, only 29 percent of inhabitants have access to clean water. Ingesting contaminated water is one of the main causes of diarrhea which causes "one in five deaths (19 per cent) of children under five" (UNICEF Somalia). The
lack of clean water here causes a high rate of water borne diseases such as
diarrhea, cholera, and polio (“Contaminated…”). Cholera is a bacterial
infection of the intestine, and is often fatal (“Chlorea…”).
In Mauritania, a country in North Africa, 2150 people die each year from diarrhea. It is estimated that 90% of these cases can be traced back to unclean water ("Environmental...")
Over 30
percent of people in Sudan are left without water. The lack of clean water
contributes to the spread of Guinea worms (UNICEF South Sudan). Guinea worms
are parasites, which can be contracted through contaminated water (“Guinea…”).
In Niger,
some young children have to miss school in order to travel five miles with
jerrycans to get water for their families (Nossiter). In 2006, only 42 percent
had access to clean water while only 7 percent had access to sanitization (“Niger
water…”).
In 2011, the Duhok reservoir in Duhok City, Iraq was tested
for various levels of bacteria, feces, and other harmful substances. Most of
the levels exceeded the standards set by World Health Organizations. The levels
of feces found in the reservoir were far above these standards. This reservoir
supplies water to crops and fields, and is ingested by the Iraqi people (Yahya).
These are just a few of the regions that do not have access to safe, fresh water. Imagine living in fear of contracting a deadly illness with every sip of water. There are millions elsewhere that live with this fear every day.
This
Eyewitness News report shows just how hard it is to access safe, sanitary water
in Soweto, Africa. People are forced to wash their clothes in streams
contaminated by sewage and dead, decaying animals floating nearby. There are
few taps in town from which they can access safer water, but there is the
possibility that the source may run dry.
“Access to
sanitization.” UN. United Nations Department of Economic and
Social Affairs. n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.
“Contaminated
water a grave threat to Somalis.” OXFAM. OXFAM International,
21 March 2014. Web.
30 October 2014.
“Environmental
health challenges in Mauritania”. WHO. World Health Organization,
March 2013. Web. 15
October 2014.
Eyewitness
News. “Washing in Sewage.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube. 26
Jan. 2014. Web. 30
Oct. 2014.
“Guinea
Worm Disease Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).” CDC. Center for
Disease Control and
Prevention, 14 April 2014. Web. 31 October 2014.
“Niger
Water and Sanitation Profile.” USAID from the American People. USAID,
n. d. Web. 1
November 2014
Nossiter,
Adam. “Late for School After a Long Journey for a Drop to Drink.” New
York Times. New York
Times, 21 May 2012. Web. 1 November 2014.
“Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.” UNICEF
Somalia. UNICEF, n.d. Web. 31 October 2014.
“Water Security”. Maplecroft. Maplecroft Global Risk Analytics, n.d. Web. 15 October 2014.
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