Entries by Kayla Ritter

HotSpots H2O, May 30: Millions of Children in MENA Conflict Zones Lack Safe Water

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The Global Rundown Conflict in the Middle East and Africa is preventing 24 million children from accessing safe water and sanitation. Misguided water management projects are causing lakes and rivers in Africa’s Sahel region to run dry, prompting conflict and out-migration. Lack of clean water is the greatest challenge facing many Yemeni civilians. Raw sewage […]

HotSpots H2O, May 23: Conditions Deteriorating Rapidly in Drought-Stricken Somalia

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The Global Rundown Drought and insecurity in Somalia are deteriorating “more rapidly than expected,” according to UN officials. A League of Arab States’ conference concluded that proper water management is key to stabilizing the Middle East and North Africa. An additional 200,000 people could be displaced from Mosul, Iraq as fighting moves closer to the […]

HotSpots H2O, May 16: Yemen Declares State of Emergency Over Cholera Outbreak

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The Global Rundown Officials declared a state of emergency in Sana’a, Yemen after a cholera outbreak claimed dozens of lives. WASH initiatives are reaching thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, but water access for the displaced population remains limited. War and water scarcity are endangering the livelihood of the Wayúu, […]

HotSpots H2O, May 9: Attacks in Afghanistan Compromise Access to Clean Water

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The Rundown Rocket attacks and armed conflict in the Kunduz Province of Afghanistan leave many without adequate food and water. Officials estimate that five years and billions of dollars are needed to rebuild Mosul, Iraq, where fighting has destroyed countless homes and a great deal of infrastructure. Humanitarian agencies struggle to provide safe water to […]

HotSpots H2O, May 2: Unclean Water Heightens Disease Risk in Conflict Zones

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The Global Rundown South Sudan hovers on the edge of a widespread cholera epidemic. In Niger, poor sanitation and inadequate water supply spark a Hepatitis E outbreak among refugees displaced by Boko Haram. Progress is underway on a new water treatment plant south of Mosul, Iraq, which will provide clean water for conflict-affected Iraqis. A […]

HotSpots H2O, April 25: Water Shortages Could Fuel Future Terrorist Recruitment

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The Global Rundown Water shortages caused by climate change will assist future terrorist recruitment, a German research group claims. India and Pakistan delay talks on whether two controversial hydroelectric projects violate the Indus Water Treaty. Human-animal conflict in India is on the rise amid changes in land use and resource availability. Thousands in Somalia wander the […]

Conflict Pushes Yemen to Brink of Famine

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Kayla RitterKayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter

HotSpots H2O, April 18: Water and Sanitation Crises Jeopardize Health of Damascus Citizens

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The Global Rundown Water shortages and sewage system failures are compromising the health of millions in Damascus, Syria. Chief Ministers of the Indian states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh spar over the Mahanadi River’s usage rights. In northern Kenya, tension builds between native pastoralists and South Sudanese refugees. The construction of valley dams in Lake Mburo […]

HotSpots H2O, April 11: South Sudanese Refugees Flee to Uganda

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The Global Rundown Uganda struggles to provide food, water, and shelter as thousands of refugees flee violence in South Sudan. Islamic State fighters deliberately destroyed the Quba Pump Station in East Mosul, cutting off the water supply of nearly a million Iraqis. Water crisis may be brewing between Israel and Palestine, where political tension and […]

HotSpots H2O, April 4: Conflict and Drought Leave 27 Million Without Clean Water

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Conflict and drought have left 27 million people in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen without safe drinking water.

Drought, Heat, and Conflict Strand Residents of Dadaab

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World’s largest refugee camp illustrates human costs of water-scarce era. By Kayla Cragg, Circle of Blue The desert of thorns and rocks northwest of Nairobi, Kenya is so unforgiving that it takes all day and a good bit of the night to reach the Dadaab refugee camp about 300 miles away near the border with […]

HotSpots H2O, March 28: One in Four Children Will Face Water Scarcity by 2040

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The Global Rundown One in four children will live in areas of extreme water stress by 2040, according to a recent UNICEF report. A dam project along Afghanistan’s Helmand River could spark tension with bordering Iran. A Red Cross initiative provides clean water for those displaced by intercommunal fighting in the Philippines. An airstrike against […]