Zimbabwe: Drinking Water

Mark Hunter
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the ability of the population of Zimbabwe to access clean water; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ivan Lewis
A recent household survey conducted by UNICEF in Zimbabwe showed that 77 per cent. of households across rural areas relied on a safe water source. A large number, therefore, do not have good enough water to prevent exposure to diseases such as cholera. In urban areas, where most people rely on piped municipal water, a breakdown in infrastructure and a lack of chemicals has placed an increasingly large number of households at risk.