80 Percent of Rural Households Without Direct Water Access – World Water Report

Women in Mandera County, Kenya, gather at a lone water source, filling every jerrycan as drought turns basic hydration into a daily struggle. Credit: Charles Kariuki/IPS

By Umar Manzoor Shah
NEW YORK & SRINAGAR, India, Mar 19 2026 (IPS)

A new United Nations report has warned that global water inequality remains one of the most pressing development challenges of the decade, with billions still lacking safe drinking water and sanitation – while women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.