Climate change, conflict, and chronic inequality are creating a global water and sanitation crisis. More than 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water and 4.2 billion lack adequate sanitation.
This report reveals the dangerous gap in funding for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes, which are key to promoting health, preventing malnutrition, and reaching UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We focus exclusively on humanitarian funding—that is, emergency support in the wake of natural disasters, climate shocks, war, and other acute crises. In those contexts, clean water and safe sanitation are key to saving lives and promoting stability.
The need
- 494 million go to the toilet outside, known as open defecation
- 2 billion people lack access to clean water
- 4.6 million don’t have access to safe sanitation, like a toilet or good handwashing facilities
