Water is the key to all life: Nearly every single living organism needs water to survive. Yet across the globe, ONE IN EVERY NINE people do not have access to clean water.
Without water to drink, people can’t live. Without water for their crops and livestock, they can’t eat enough or earn a living. If their water isn’t clean, they won’t be healthy. If their water comes from a faraway source, they have to spend their days carrying it instead of going to school or earning an income—this affects women and girls the most.
A United Nations publication, “Safe Water as the Key to Global Health,” stated: “No other single intervention is more likely to have a significant impact on global poverty than the provision of safe water.”
Islamic Relief’s Dedication to Water and Sanitation
Islamic Relief water and sanitation projects–both at the emergency and long-term levels–have been providing essential aid for many years.
When we build a water system, we ensure communities have a sustainable source of clean water for years to come. We recognize the risk of drought, displacement, and disease and with over thirty years of expertise as a global IR family, we know that simply drilling wells and installing water pumps cannot solve the water crisis.
We bypass short-term interventions and high running costs to instead provide long-term sustainable solutions; installing irrigation systems, building water tanks, training communities, distributing hygiene kits and rehabilitating viable water systems.
Islamic Relief has also dedicated many of its international challenges to raising awareness and support for water interventions. Learn more at our team challenges page.
Here’s just a sampling of our recent efforts for water and sanitation:
- Improved access to safe and hygienic shower and gender-friendly sanitation facilities for women and girls who are Myanmar refugees living in camps.
- Rehabilitating and constructing water harvesting structures in Somalia.
- Building flood protection and retaining walls at points posing flood risk to villages in Pakistan.
