A/RES/74/141 The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation in many parts of the world, restricting their time for other activities, such as education and leisure, or, for women, for earning a livelihood, Deeply alarmed that water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases hit children the hardest, while noting that child diarrhoea is the sec ond leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age, and underscoring that progress on reducing child mortality, morbidity and stunting is linked to children’s and women’s access to safe drinking water and sanitation and that, in humanitarian emerg encies and crises, including in times of armed conflict or natural disaster, children suffer the most from interruptions in water and sanitation services, Deeply concerned that persons with disabilities, especially children, often face barriers in accessing water and sanitation facilities that are accessible and appropriate to their needs, which has an impact on their ability to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, including education and employment, which is particularly concerning with regard to homelessness and humanitarian emergencies and crises, Deeply alarmed by indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilian objects in armed conflict, which may injure personnel and cut off the power that keeps water, sanitation and hygiene systems running, Deeply concerned that widespread silence and stigma surrounding menstruation and menstrual hygiene mean that women and girls often lack basic information and education thereon, are excluded and stigmatized, that their health can be negatively affected and that they are thus prevented from realizing their full potential, Deeply concerned also that the lack of access to adequate water and sanitation services, including for menstrual hygiene management, especially in sc hools, workplaces, health centres and public facilities, negatively affects gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and their enjoyment of human rights, including the right to education and the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable s tandard of physical and mental health, and recognizing that women have specific hygiene needs during menstruation, pregnancy, childbearing and rearing and throughout the life course, Deeply concerned further that women and girls are particularly at risk o f and exposed to attacks, sexual and gender-based violence, harassment and other threats to their safety while collecting household water and when accessing sanitation facilities outside their homes or, when lacking adequate sanitation facilities, practisi ng open defecation and urination, limiting their ability to move freely and safely in the public sphere, Deeply concerned that non-existent or inadequate sanitation facilities and serious deficiencies in water management and wastewater treatment can negat ively affect water provision and sustainable access to safe drinking water and that, according to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2017, over 80 per cent of the world’s wastewater, and over 95 per cent in some developing countries, is released into the environment without treatment, Affirming the importance of regional and international cooperation, where appropriate, as a means to promote the progressive realization of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, with the understanding that it has no bearing on the issues of international water law, including international watercourse law, Expressing concern that climate change has contributed and continues to contribute to the increased frequency and intensity of both sudden -onset natural disasters and slow-onset events, and that these events have adverse effects on the full enjoyment of all human rights, including the human rights to safe drinking water and 4/8 19-22240