Contaminated water a serious threat to millions in Pakistan's flood-hit areas: UNICEF.

ISLAMABAD -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil on Tuesday said that safe drinking water is not a privilege, it is a basic human right.

Six months after catastrophic floods struck Pakistan, more than 10 million people, including children, living in flood-affected areas remain deprived of clean drinking water, leaving families with no alternative but to drink and use potentially disease-ridden water.

Even before the floods, despite the country's drinking water supply system covering 92 per cent of the population, only 36 per cent of the water was considered safe for consumption. The floods damaged most of the water systems in affected areas, compelling more than 5.4 million people, including 2.5 million children, to solely rely on contaminated water from ponds and wells.

Country representative UNICEF said, "Yet, every day, millions of girls and boys in Pakistan are fighting a losing battle against preventable waterborne diseases and the consequential malnutrition. We need the continued support of our donors to provide safe water, build toilets and deliver vital sanitation services to these children and families who need them the most.'

The prolonged lack of safe drinking water and toilets, along with the continued proximity of vulnerable families to bodies of stagnant water are contributing to the widespread outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dengue, and malaria. At the same time, open defecation has increased by more than 14 per cent in the flood-affected regions. To make matters worse, the lack of proper toilets is disproportionally affecting children, adolescent girls and women who...