In the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, besieged by Russian troops since February 24, the population lacks food and electricity, but also drinking water.

Some inhabitants are reduced to drinking melted snow or water from radiators.

An acute crisis situation that is found in all countries in conflict, according to Emmanuel Rinck, director of operations of the NGO Solidarités international, contacted by France 24.

"In Mariupol and in certain districts of Kharkiv, he reports, the inhabitants cannot leave their homes because of the danger and the infrastructures are destroyed. The water does not flow any more from the tap and the inhabitants have a cruel lack drinking water, which is nevertheless a primary need from a humanitarian point of view."

In an attempt to make up for the shortage, the NGO is trying to organize convoys of tank trucks and bring each resident the 15 liters of water a day necessary for their survival.

Emergency aid that they have been deploying for 40 years in many countries in conflict, such as Yemen, Afghanistan or Syria.

"People living in conflict zones lack water because war destroys everything," continues Emmanuel Rinck. be added to that of heating and electricity.

>> To see: Geopolitics of water: a strategic issue of modern conflicts

Massive population displacements

As the conflict drags on, maintenance of the plumbing system can also become an issue.

In Yemen, for example, where 15 million people lack drinking water, the NGO has worked to restore the pipe networks in the country's third largest city.

They no longer functioned for lack of maintenance after ten years of conflict.

But these investments require suitable conditions: "In low-intensity conflicts, it is possible to work on long-term solutions, in partnership with local institutions, specifies Emmanuel Rinck. But these important works are impossible to carry out in areas of fights."

Sometimes, a vicious circle is set in motion: the lack of drinking water causes massive population displacements which can take time, and the refugees, often relegated to arid and inhospitable areas, continue to suffer from a lack access to water.

"In Borno, in northeastern Nigeria, explains Vincent Foucher, CNRS researcher contacted by France 24, the authorities are organizing the return of displaced people to garrison towns guarded by the army to protect them (from the jihadist group) Boko Haram. present in rural areas. But these overcrowded cities with very weak public services lack water. Much infrastructure has been destroyed and boreholes have stopped working. Urban agriculture is made impossible there and people spend their time queuing for water."

Means of pressure on civilian populations

Water control thus becomes a strategic issue in the region, and a means of pressure for jihadist groups on civilian populations: some inhabitants are forced to return to live in areas controlled by jihadists in order to survive.

The Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap), one of the branches of Boko Haram, which has secured control of the fertile lands bordering Lake Chad, can thus levy a tax on these populations.

>> To see: Drinking water, a human challenge and economic issues

Finally, access to toilets is a vital issue in refugee camps, where people live in close quarters.

"It is absolutely necessary to guarantee clean toilets and enough to wash your hands to protect yourself from epidemics", recalls Emmanuel Rincke.

The lack of water and hygiene infrastructure particularly exposes the most vulnerable.

In Yemen, 2.7 million people have contracted cholera since 2017, according to Oxfam, by drinking contaminated water.

Worldwide, 360,000 children under the age of 5 continue to die each year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water.

Added to this is global warming: many areas hosting refugees are particularly affected, which further accentuates the disorder caused by the conflict.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, of the 25 states deemed the most vulnerable and least ready to adapt to climate change, fourteen are mired in conflict.

"The lack of water is an absolute emergency, concludes Emmanuel Rinck. We must react very quickly so that the situation does not worsen."

According to Unicef, nearly 48 million people living in conflict zones currently lack drinking water.

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