Libya is one of the driest countries in the Middle East-North Africa region, which is itself home to eleven of the fifteen driest countries in the world. The average annual rainfall in Libya is less than 26mm, with rain mainly in the winter months, and occasionally in early spring, around this time of year. When it does rain, it tends to be in short downpours. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) believes that about four million Libyans, half of them children, will face serious water problems unless the issue is tackled soon.