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World Water Day – Red Cross Red Crescent aims to reach 2.5 million
people with safe water and sanitation 22 March 2004 The International Federation is marking World Water Day (March 22) with a commitment to increase the quantity of safe water that it provides on a daily basis to disaster-prone communities around the world. "Globally, the International Federation is providing impoverished communities and victims of disasters with some 20 million litres of water per day, supporting roughly one million people. "We want to provide water and sanitation services to 2.5 million people in support of the UN Millennium Development Goal which seeks to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation," Federation secretary general, Markku Niskala, announced today. There are 3.4 million deaths from water-related diseases each year. Most of these deaths come from the ranks of the one billion people living in the world today who lack adequate access to safe drinking water. "Women and children in poor communities usually bear the task of water collection, often over long distances. As we implement new community-based water supply projects we will ensure that the views of women in particular are taken into account, for example, in the positioning of water supplies and that they are represented on water and sanitation committees at community level," said Uli Jaspers, water and sanitation manager for the Federation. Jaspers stressed the importance of water and sanitation activities at community level in helping to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty, tackling infant mortality and ensuring environmental stability through better management of water resources. “Community empowerment and engagement linked to the Federation’s global network of 181 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their volunteers can increase the provision of sustainable safe water and sanitation among the world’s poor,” he said. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: Denis McClean, Head, Media Service - Tel: + 41 22 730 44 28 / + 41 79 217 33 57 Media Service, duty phone - Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81 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. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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