Top 5 African countries without clean water in 2024

Water is life. We need water for many things-cooking, drinking, cleaning, bathing, farming, and more.

Imagine living in a country where there is no access to clean water. Unfortunately, this is still a significant issue in many African countries.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), which monitors global progress on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), these are the African countries that still lack access to clean water.

African countries without clean water in 2024

1. Niger

Niger, West Africa's largest country, confronts major barriers to accessing clean water, with 54% of the population lacking access because of recurrent water shortages and droughts in desert climates.

2. Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea's rural population, mostly in remote communities, faces challenges with clean water and sanitation, as well as a lack of basic hygiene practices.

The country is also among the most disaster-prone in Africa because of regular cyclones and flooding events that cause large-scale damage.

3. The Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa's second-largest country, there is always war and disease. Nearly 64% of the population lives in extreme poverty, making it one of the world's five poorest countries in the world.

Many people in Congo use dirty water for drinking, cooking, and washing, leading to diseases like diarrhoea and cholera, which can severely impact their lives.

4. Chad

Chad, a landlocked country, is experiencing acute food and water insecurity because of recurring droughts and refugee migrations. 54% of children do not have access to basic water services, and just one in ten has access to sanitary facilities.

Approximately 44% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water, including hundreds of thousands of refugees in vulnerable host communities.

5. Ethiopia

Ethiopia, which has a population of 120 million is experiencing a serious water crisis, with over 64 million lacking basic access to clean water.

Despite substantial rainfall in the northern highlands, severe droughts and fluctuations, particularly for rural inhabitants, which account for 80% of the population, have resulted in water scarcity.