13 Aug
A UN report says 43 percent of schools worldwide lacked handwashing facilities with soap and water last year. It says these resources must be secured so that schools can safely reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization published the joint report on Thursday.
It says 818 million children across the globe did not have a basic hygiene service at their schools, with 295 million, or more than one-third of them, living in sub-Saharan Africa.
The UN says that as of August 2, nationwide school closures were in place in 106 countries and territories, affecting more than 1 billion people, or about 60.5 percent of students worldwide.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore says providing access to hand hygiene, clean drinking water and safe sanitation is vital to getting children back into schools.
NHK
