UN declares access to clean water and sanitation a human right

(July 30, 2010) Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights, the United Nations declared on Wednesday, voicing deep concern that almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. The UN’s 192-member General Assembly also called on member states and international organizations to offer funding, technology and other resources to help poorer countries scale up their efforts to provide clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for everyone. The Assembly resolution received 122 votes in favour and zero votes against, while 41 countries abstained from voting. The text of the resolution expresses deep concern that an estimated 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water and a total of more than 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. Studies also indicate about 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year and 443 million school days are lost because of water- and sanitation-related diseases. Halving the proportion of people who cannot reach or afford safe drinking water and halving the number who do not have basic sanitation are part of the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight targets to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, maternal and child deaths and other problems around the globe, all by 2015.