According to the UN News Service, 354 million people continue to practice open defecation, meaning they relieve themselves in the open air, in fields, forests, or bushes, without the ability to wash their hands with soap afterward. This situation is most common among rural residents in Central, South, and East Asia, as well as in Tropical Africa.
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This situation poses health risks and can lead to various diseases. Every day, about a thousand children under the age of five die from a lack of safe water and sanitation.
Open defecation poses the greatest danger to women and girls, as being forced to expose themselves in public places makes them vulnerable to violence.
Furthermore, the UN emphasizes that the lack of toilets and sanitation contributes to environmental pollution and exacerbates the problem of global warming.
