Small children in warzones more likely to die from lack of water than bullets, according to report
Children under the age of 5 in warzones are 20 times more likely to die from lack of access to safe water than by bullets.
The figure is according to a new report from UNICEF that looks at mortality rates in 16 countries that are going through conflict.
Theresa Dooley, UNICEF's Regional Adviser for Water and Sanitation in South Asia, believes governments can play a part in safeguarding water supplies despite any ongoing fighting.
"We have to stop a tax on water and sanitation systems and services," she said.
"That's not just the pipes and the pumps, it is also the personnel and it's some of the electricity that is supplying these servieces."
According to the report, one in 26 children died before reaching age 5 in 2017, compared to one in 11 in 1990.
An estimated 5.4 million children under age 5 died in 2017—roughly half of those deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, the report added.
