Lebanon is in danger of facing a severe water shortage or being cut off from safe water supply in the coming days, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) warned on Saturday.
In a statement shared on the UNICEF Lebanon Twitter account, the organization reported that in the month of July they had predicted that unless a change took place, 71% of the Lebanese population could run out of water over the summer months. The situation since then has not improved and a huge strain has been placed on sanitation, power and healthcare services as a result.
“If four million people are forced to resort to unsafe and costly sources of water, public health and hygiene will be compromised, and Lebanon could see an increase in waterborne diseases, in addition to the surge in COVID-19 cases,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in the statement.
Fore stressed the importance of the formation of a new Lebanese government, one with clear commitments to reforming the systems, and which will work to end the current crisis by taking “determined and systematic action to protect children’s lives and ensure access to water and all basic services.”
With a population of 6 million, Lebanon is at a low point in a two-year financial meltdown, with a lack of fuel oil and gasoline meaning extensive blackouts and long lines at the few gas stations still operating.
UNICEF has said that should the public water supply system collapse, water costs could jump by 200% a month as water would be secured from private water suppliers.
The UN agency said it needed $40 million a year to secure the minimum levels of fuel, chlorine, spare parts and maintenance required to keep critical systems operational.
“Our teams in Lebanon are working tirelessly, in incredibly difficult circumstances, to provide life-saving services and continue to support the response to COVID-19 including with vaccine deployment and further expanding of programs,” Fore’s statement concluded.