World Water Day - main threat to disaster victims is poor water and sanitation
21 March 2001

The world's largest disaster response organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today is marking World Water Day (March 22) with a commitment to increase its efforts to provide disaster victims with access to clean water and sanitation.

"We are stepping up our efforts in this vital area because we see increasingly that poor water and sanitation pose the greatest threat to lives in the emergency phase of most disasters when there is a high risk of epidemics," said Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Head of the International Federation's Health Department.
"World-wide, the International Federation provides impoverished communities with 20 million litres of water per day benefitting some one million people in 30 programmes. Our network now spends about fifty million Swiss Francs each year on water and sanitation. However, a lot more needs to be done given that one billion people lack access to clean water and half the world's population do not have adequate sanitation facilities. These are the people most likely to be victims of a disaster," said Uli Jaspers, the agency's senior water engineer.

In the current flood crisis in southern Africa, water and sanitation activities are an essential element in the Federation's response, particularly in Malawi and Mozambique. Red Cross regional water and sanitation co-ordinator, Robert Fraser, said: "For two years running we have been battling the floodwaters in Mozambique and this year we have had to bring in an emergency water purification unit with the support of the Swedish, German and Austrian Red Cross Societies to meet the needs of people living in camps. All over this region, water and sanitation are key priorities for the Red Cross."

Since the Federation established specialised Emergency Response Units for water and sanitation five years ago, it has deployed them in response to 14 major disasters around the world to benefit victims of conflict in Africa and natural disasters like Hurricane Mitch in Central America. The Federation employs 280 staff working worldwide on water and sanitation projects, many of them on drought mitigation in Africa and Central Asia.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Denis McClean, Head of Media Service, Tel.: +41 22 730 4428/ + 41 79 217 3357
Christopher Black, Information Officer Tel: +44 22 730 4377/ + 41 79 416 3881

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.