Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Southern Africa • The impact of the drought in Southern Africa on WASH is already observed in places where the drought has been more acute and where WASH coverage was already low. • Only 61 per cent of the region’s population has access to safe drinking water and 39 per cent have access to adequate sanitation facilities. • Approximately 6.4 million people (including 3.2 million children) in the seven priority countries have reduced access to safe water as a direct result of the El Niño drought.