UNICEF Warns of Water Crisis Threatens Four Million People in Lebanon

The United Nations for Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) warns that more than four million people in Lebanon  face the risks of severe shortage at potable water in Lebanon during the few days to come.

The UN organization has issued a statement that said unless the Lebanese take urgent measurements more than four million people, most of them are children and women  and the vulnerable families in all parts of the country, will expose to the scarcity of fresh   water or even cut off supplies of the potable water over the next few days.

The statement added that the UNICEF warned last month that 71% of the Lebanese population may be deprived of the potable water this summer.

It indicated that since that time the basic services in Lebanon such as water, sewage, energy network and medical care have come under more stress.

The UNICEF revealed that the vital facilities  like hospitals and clinics in Lebanon were deprived of the potable water due storage in electricity which expose lives of patients to complicated risks.

The UNICEF's statement  continued to say that if four million people are forced to resort to unsafe and expensive sources of water, this will jeopardize health and hygiene, and Lebanon may witness an increase in waterborne diseases, in addition to an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus.”

It calls for the  urgent restoration of the power supply  as it is the only solution to the continued operation of the water services".

The statement stressed that the  needs are enormous, and the urgent formation of a new government with clear commitments to reform is critical to addressing the current crisis through resolute and systematic measures to protect children's lives and ensure access to water and all basic services."

It  concluded that our crews in Lebanon are working tirelessly, in very difficult circumstances, to provide life-saving services and continue to support the response to the Corona pandemic, including the delivery of vaccines and the further expansion of our work programs."