5 Ways You Can Help Kids Who Don't Have Clean Water

Donating just $15 can provide water for a child for a year.

The inequality caused by the global water crisis is perhaps most evident in the toll it takes on children.

This World Water Day, the statistics are a reminder that although we've made progress, there are still far too many young people living without clean water and adequate sanitation. Illnesses caused by unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation kill around 1,000 children under five every day.

Unicef is working in more than 100 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities. Their programs help restore access to clean water after disasters and promote safe hygiene practices in schools and communities.

This Water Day, see how your donation -- whether it's $5 or $400 -- can help young people around the world.

$1 DONATION

Photo via Unicef

With $1, Unicef can provide a child with clean, safe water for one month, and with $15, it can provide water for a year. Unicef considers safe, accessible and affordable water and sanitation a human right -- yet clean water is still unavailable to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

$25 DONATION

Photo via Unicef

With $25, Unicef can provide 700 children with worming tablets to protect them from infection. Worm infections are common in regions with poor sanitation and drinking water, according to World Vision. Worms and other intestinal parasites can invade a child’s body through a sip of dirty water, as well as through bare skin or food. While intestinal worms aren’t fatal, they can go undetected for years, damaging young children's mental and physical development.

$50 DONATION

Photo via Unicef

Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation or hygiene can lead to severe diarrhea -- and acute diarrhea and dehydration can take a child’s life within hours. Oral Rehydration Salts, a combination of salts and minerals, when added to a glass of water, can help reverse the loss of essential fluids.

$220 DONATION

Photo via Unicef

A water kit contains all the tools a family needs during an emergency situation: buckets, water containers, soap, water purification tablets, handheld torches, child potties and reusable menstrual pads. One kit can help five families, or 25 people, make it through an emergency for one month.

$400 DONATION

Photo via Unicef

A pump can make a big difference for families in remote villages without reliable access to clean water. One pump can provide safe, affordable drinking water to an entire community. This is particularly useful for girls, according to Unicef, who often walk long miles to fetch water every day, sometimes missing out on school.

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