User:Mkerns11/Water politics

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The COVID-19 pandemic placed a large burden on various water supply systems because more individuals relied upon access to clean water to maintain sanitation standards. In areas already facing barriers to water access, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen, the pandemic exacerbated challenges. Conversely, preexisting inequalities relating to infrastructure and water access were likely a factor contributing to disparate impacts of the pandemic, concluded Jerel M Ezell, PhD, a researcher from Cornell. Additionally, the World Health Organization, in partnership with UNICEF reported that "over 74 million people in the Arab region are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 owing to a lack of access to basic hand washing facilities". Thus, demonstrating the crucial relationship between water access and livelihood.