2.1 billion people live without safe water globally

It has been disclosed that globally, 2.1 billion people live without safe water while one in four Primary Schools have no drinking water sources with pupils using unprotected sources of water just as around 159 million people are collecting drinking water from surface water making the poorest and most disadvantaged children suffer the most.

This disclosure was made by the Chief of Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF, Mr Bhanu Pathak on Friday during the commemoration of the Year 2019 World Water Day, organised by the Bauchi State Rural Water Sanitation and Supply Agency, (RUWASSA) with the theme “Leaving No one Behind” held at the Hazibal Suites Event center in Bauchi.

The Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Office who was represented by Mr David Demian, also said that the sum of N150m has been released by Bauchi State Government as counterpart funds for the construction of 470 handpumps boreholes in 12 LGAs in the state for the year 2018 in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID ) of the United Kingdom and (UNICEF) under the Sanitation, Hygiene and Water, project (SHAWN) in order to promote healthy living.

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He added that “N20 million was also released as sanitation pool fund to be managed by Micro Finance Institution, MFIs as a revolving fund to increase the construction of improving latrines as an effort to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.”

“The release of the counterpart funding by Bauchi State Government has spurred the donor and DFID to increase funding for the SHAWN project in Bauchi state to the tune of N1 billion in 2018 for the construction and rehabilitation of various water and sanitation schemes in various communities, schools and PHCs.

“The 12 LGAs benefitting from the project according to the UNICEF are Dass, Warji, Gamawa, Shira, Toro, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Zaki, Bauchi, Katagum, Ningi and Alkaleri,” he further said.

Bhanu Pathak said that under the collaboration, 145,092 people, 188,800 pupils and 5,809 caregivers now have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene covering communities, schools and health centres in Bauchi State.

In his address at the occasion, the State Commissioner of Water Resources, Ibrahim Ayuba Suleiman said that Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 6 aims at ensuring availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030, especially for women, children, refugees and physically challenged persons, adding that without safe drinking water, children may not survive as it is one of the most important substances on earth.