To mark World Water Day on March 22, UNICEF issued a video answering the questions most vital to the water crisis in the Middle East and North Africa region. Video: MENA’s water crisis and how to fix it

About water scarcity in the region:

• Nine out of 10 children live in areas of high or extremely high water-stress countries.
• MENA has 11 out of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world.
• Agriculture accounts for an average of more than 80 per cent of water use in the region, compared to 70 per cent globally.
• Nearly half of the water is unaccounted for or lost in leakages.
• Intense water scarcity forces people into displacement and can be a trigger to conflicts.

UNICEF continues to support addressing the vulnerability of water resources in the region, to:

• Create a robust enabling environment with strong national policy and regulatory systems that address scarcity.
• Work with civil society, especially youth as agents of change, on the value of water and water conservation.
• Initiate climate change response plans, incorporate water scarcity as a priority component and allocate sufficient national budget to address water scarcity.

Here’s UNICEF report on water scaricty in the region for more background “Running Dry: the impact of water scarcity on children in the Middle East and North Africa.”

The video was made in collaboration with Chris Cormency, WASH and Climate Change Regional Advisor for UNICEF in the Middle East and North Africa, on water scarcity in the region for World Water Day.