UN's safe water target met ahead of schedule
Source: Agencies |
March 7, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE world's nations achieved a UN goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target, the United Nations announced yesterday.
A report issued by the UN children's agency and the World Health Organization said more than 2 billion people gained access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2010.
That means 89 percent of the world's population, 6.1 billion people, had access to safe water sources at the end of 2010 - one percent more than the goal of 88 percent set by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, the report said.
But UNICEF and WHO said victory can't be declared because 783 million people still have no ready access to safe drinking water.
The water target was one of the UN Millennium Development Goals to reduce global poverty that government leaders, nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations have been working to achieve.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the achievement, saying it will help improve the lives of millions.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that "providing sustainable access to improved drinking water sources is one of the most important things we can do to reduce disease."
UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said the achievement would reduce the number of children who die from diarrheal diseases - currently 3,000 a day.
The report highlights the disparities. Only 61 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water compared with 90 percent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, northern Africa, and much of Asia.
A report issued by the UN children's agency and the World Health Organization said more than 2 billion people gained access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2010.
That means 89 percent of the world's population, 6.1 billion people, had access to safe water sources at the end of 2010 - one percent more than the goal of 88 percent set by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, the report said.
But UNICEF and WHO said victory can't be declared because 783 million people still have no ready access to safe drinking water.
The water target was one of the UN Millennium Development Goals to reduce global poverty that government leaders, nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations have been working to achieve.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the achievement, saying it will help improve the lives of millions.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that "providing sustainable access to improved drinking water sources is one of the most important things we can do to reduce disease."
UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said the achievement would reduce the number of children who die from diarrheal diseases - currently 3,000 a day.
The report highlights the disparities. Only 61 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to safe drinking water compared with 90 percent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, northern Africa, and much of Asia.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
