Rights taken away to access drinking water fuel conflict in Northeast, says UNICEF
By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that rights taken away to access drinking water fuel conflict in the Northeast.
According to the UN Fund, water scarcity breeds competition and conflict, driving people apart and deepening divisions in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Phuong Nguyen, raised the alarm, yesterday (Friday), to mark 2024 World Water Day (WWD) in collaboration with the Borno State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
She said the WWD theme: “Water for Peace” was to protect all the water resources to ensure human survival for economic growth and development.
Read Also: WHO supports Yobe train seven CSOs fight GBV, meningitis
“Anything that tries to come between humans and water is a recipe for conflict,” she warned, adding that water is a tool for peace because it is inevitable for human survival.
Nguyen reiterated that; “The importance of water and the need to protect it cannot be overemphasized because water is life.”
She noted that harnessing and safeguarding water is a recipe for peaceful coexistence in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and communities.
On how access to water ensures peace, the UNICEF boss said: “It’s crucial to recognize the transformative power of water in fostering peace and stability,” stating that water is not just a basic necessity for life; but a fundamental human right.
According to her, water knows no boundaries, ethnicities or religions in the world.
She further disclosed that in the Northeast Nigeria, access to clean water has been a challenge for many communities, thereby exacerbating the already difficult circumstances on insurgency
Nguyen continued; “But today, our collective actions can pave the way for a brighter future,” by what she described as, prioritizing water security and cooperation for peace and economic growth and development.
“Water scarcity breeds competition and conflict, driving people apart and deepening divisions,” she warned.
She also announced that UNICEF’s partnership with the Government in northeast Nigeria to improve access to safe water is yielding results.
Reviewing access to potable water, she said: “In 2023, almost 900,000 people gained access to safe water supply services in the region while 46 schools and 11 primary healthcare centres were supported with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Nguyen, therefore, urged the girls and boys at the event to become champions of water for peace in their respective communities.
She charged them to embrace the role of stewards of the environment, by safeguarding water sources for the future generations.
“Advocate for policies that prioritize access to clean water for all, regardless of background or circumstances,” she said.
The Commissioner of Water Resource, Tijjani Alkali, represented by the Director Ground Water, Alkali Lawan asked: “How can education, communities and other stakeholders conserve and protect water resources in the state?”
