Over two billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.
A joint study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF revealed that one in four people worldwide were without safe drinking water in 2024, with more than 100 million people still dependent on unsafe surface water sources such as rivers and ponds.
The agencies cautioned that progress towards achieving universal access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene by 2030 was far off track, leaving billions vulnerable to preventable diseases.