World Toilet Day: Over 3 billion people lack safe sanitation
By Kielce Gussie
About 3.5 billion people around the world live without safely managed sanitation and another 2 billion lack basic hygienic services. Many of those facing this crisis are migrants and poorer communities.
In an ever-changing and modernizing world, each year on November 19, the United Nations (UN) draw attention to these dire figures with World Toilet Day, which highlights the billions who are denied these basic human rights every day.
Safe toilets mean safe communities
Bruce Gordon, Unit Head of Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) and Health at the World Health Organization and the UN-Water Vice Chair, explained to Vatican News that many young girls and women face long distances, “walking into areas that are not well-lit and there’s danger,” or “waiting until nightfall” all to simply use the toilet.
He said an issue that goes hand in hand with the question of health is the topic of basic human dignity. Access to safe and proper facilities "is something that all human beings have a right to and it’s fundamentally about your dignity.”
Proper facilities leads to healthier lives
Gordon described access to facilities as directly connected to the health of a community.
The UN reported that demand for water “has outpaced population growth” and half of the global population has already faced severe water scarcity at least one month a year. Around 1,000 under the age of five die from unsafe water, hygiene, and sanitation every day.
“The root cause of all water-borne disease is poor sanitation systems,” he explained, “If we can do something about this, we can solve many problems at the same time.”
Together with various other institutions like the World Health Organization and UNICEF, the UN holds events to raise awareness and foster collaborations to bring safe and proper facilities to people around the world. For Sanitation and Water for All, brings governments together to encourage heads of state to promote initiatives for safe facilities. UNHCR works to ensure refugees—wherever they find themselves—have access to clean water and safe facilities.
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