Countries where people walk miles every day just to fill up a 5-gallon bucket ~ AROUND THE PLANET

Nearly a billion people worldwide have limited access to clean water, the State Department says, and the crisis disproportionately affects women and girls.In many parts of the world, people walk miles every day just to fill up a 5-gallon bucket or jerry can with muddy, unsafe water from a stream or pond. Women and children fetch the majority of water for household uses in rural areas. Often this keeps them from attending school or working at a job.When you need that water to do everything from washing your body, brushing your teeth, cooking your meals, washing your clothes, water for bathing ... you count every single drop, Schneller said. "You realize how important water is, especially if you're the one that has to go collect it and bring it back-- every single drop.Waterborne diseases are the leading causes of death globally for children under the age of five, and half the patients in the world’s hospitals are suffering from diseases related to dirty water.

A grim image of how the water shortage affects Darfuris