This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

Invest strategically, governments urged, for safe drinking water worldwide

Governments must invest strategically in building safe drinking water systems for the future, not only by increasing funding, if the world is to achieve the goal of universal access.

That’s the main message from Monday’s State of the World’s Drinking Water report, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, and the World Bank.

It notes that over two billion people have gained access to safe drinking water in the past two decades.

But that progress is fragile and unequal, with a quarter of the world simply left behind, while climate change increases the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods.

Meanwhile, rapid urbanisation is increasing the strain on cities’ ability to deliver water to the millions living in informal settlements and slums.

Pace of cholera outbreak in Syria and Lebanon threatens entire region: UNICEF

The spread of cholera across Syria and Lebanon in recent weeks is alarming and the risks of it expanding across the whole Middle East, call for a “scale up of immediate action” said UNICEF on Monday.

Regional Director Bertrand Bainvel said in a statement that in Syria, there are more than 20,000 cases with acute watery diarrhoea and 75 cholera associated deaths.

In Lebanon, confirmed cholera cases reached 448 in just two weeks, with 10 associated deaths.
 
Some other neighbouring countries are already affected with high level of acute watery diarrhoea, he said, which only adds to children’s existing struggles.

“Malnourished children are more vulnerable” and the outbreak is yet another blow to already overstretched health systems in the region.

He said UNICEF urgently needs around $40.5 million to expand its response in Lebanon and Syria alone.

Sudan: International support group calls for death investigation

And finally, the UN, African Union and regional development body IGAD’s trilateral support group for Sudan, has expressed its deep sadness at the killing of a young protester in the capital Khartoum on Sunday.

Issa Omer Al Bahy, is the latest civilian to die in what has become an increasingly violent and unstable situation, since the military takeover of the former power-sharing administration exactly a year ago.

The trilateral mechanism called for a credible investigation into the death to ensure perpetrators are held accountable.

It said the killing, coupled with “tragic episodes” of violence unfolding in the Blue Nile and West Kordofan which have so far reportedly claimed over 200 lives, are stark reminders of the urgent need for a political solution to end the current impasse.

The group said a legitimate civilian government had to be put in place, that would restore security and the constitution, protect civilians, and bring justice for the victims and their families.

Matt Wells, UN News.