Since the early 1990s, 1 billion people have gained access to clean water worldwide thanks to government initiatives and nongovernmental projects, but another billion are still in need. Dirty drinking water and poor sanitation facilities cause a host of health problems, including diarrhea, dehydration, cholera, malaria, and giardia, primarily in the world's less developed countries. These maladies are often fatal, but even when they're not, they usually keep the afflicted from working, parenting, studying, or otherwise participating in the activities that drive communities' prosperity.
An Israeli human rights organization warns of "a grave water shortage" in the West Bank, and cites Israel's water distribution policy as a major cause.