WHO and UNICEF Report Warns Billions Still Lack Safe Water and Sanitation

A new global report released to coincide with World Water Week 2025 has revealed that billions of people worldwide remain without safe access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Despite progress over the past decade, the report warns that inequalities persist, leaving vulnerable communities at heightened risk of disease, poverty, and exclusion.

The report, titled Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: Special Focus on Inequalities, was jointly launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. It highlights that the world is falling short of its 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets to provide universal access to clean water and sanitation.

Persistent Global Gaps

The findings show that while access has improved since 2015, the scale of the challenge remains staggering:

• 2.1 billion people – one in four globally – lack access to safely managed drinking water. Of these, 106 million still rely directly on unsafe surface water from rivers, lakes, or ponds.

• 3.4 billion people – nearly half the world’s population – lack safely managed sanitation. 354 million still practice open defecation.

• 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services, including 611 million with no facilities at all.

“These figures are sobering,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Acting Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO. “Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges – they are basic human rights. Yet too many people are still being left behind.”

Inequalities in Access

The report underscores that progress has been uneven, with some groups bearing a disproportionate burden:

• People in least developed countries are twice as likely to lack basic water and sanitation as those in wealthier nations, and three times as likely to lack basic hygiene.

• In fragile or conflict-affected contexts, safely managed drinking water coverage is 38 percentage points lower than in more stable countries.

• Rural communities have made improvements but still lag significantly behind. From 2015 to 2024, rural drinking water coverage rose from 50% to 60%, but urban coverage has stagnated.

• Women and girls remain disproportionately affected. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, they spend over 30 minutes daily collecting water, impacting education and economic opportunities.

• Menstrual health inequalities persist: while most adolescent girls have access to menstrual materials and a private place to change, many lack adequate supplies, and girls aged 15–19 are less likely to attend school or participate in daily activities during menstruation.

Children at Risk

The lack of WASH services directly undermines children’s health, education, and development. “When children lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF’s Director of WASH. She stressed that the inequalities are particularly stark for girls, who face barriers not only from water collection but also from inadequate support during menstruation.

At current rates, universal coverage of safely managed WASH services by 2030 is increasingly out of reach, according to the report. However, experts argue that accelerated investment, community-led solutions, and stronger governance could still enable progress on the SDGs.

Urgent Call for Action

Both WHO and UNICEF are urging governments and the international community to accelerate investments in WASH infrastructure, especially in underserved rural and fragile contexts. The agencies call for greater focus on equity, ensuring resources are directed toward the most marginalised groups who are least likely to benefit from traditional infrastructure expansion.

World Water Week 2025 has brought renewed attention to these issues, with global leaders, researchers, and community organisations gathering to discuss solutions. Many point to the need for climate-resilient water systems, given that floods, droughts, and extreme weather events are making access to safe water even more precarious.

Looking Ahead

As the world enters the final five years of the SDG period, experts warn that progress must dramatically accelerate to prevent millions more from being left behind. The WHO-UNICEF report serves as a stark reminder that while progress has been made, equity gaps remain the biggest obstacle.

“The promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach,” said Scharp. “We must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”