UNICEF sounds alarm bells over water

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 6 (UPI) -- More than 1 million children under the age of 5 die from complications from poor sanitation and a lack of clean water, U.N. agencies said in Dubai.

A report from the U.N. Children's Fund, UNICEF, found that 1.5 million children across the world die every year from diarrhea because of unsafe water and poor sanitary conditions.

UNICEF said there are roughly 300 million school days lost each year to diarrhea. Improved hygiene and better sanitation, the report said, could not only increase school attendance but also stimulate local economies.

The humanitarian agency said many schools in developing countries lack the resources needed to provide clean water and sanitation facilities for their students.

"Millions of children in the developing world go to schools which have no drinking water or clean latrines -- basic things that many of us take for granted," Sigrid Kaag, the agency's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in Dubai.

The report, UNICEF said, is a call to action to school and community organizers that water is a key health issue.

"Every child has the right to be in a school that offers safe water, healthy sanitation and hygiene education," said Kaag.