One of the most critical needs in the fight against poverty around the world is the need for clean water. Deaths from diseases caused by dirty water are easily preventable. Even so, lack of access to clean water continues to complicate life for those in poverty.
Al Ummah Foundation work with local hand water pump specialists to provide people with access to clean water and sanitation. We work with a wide range of communities and our approach reflects this. We assess the need for water on an individual basis and ensuring our primary criteria of safe water pump installation, drawing and use of water while bringing maximum benefit for a large group of people or crowded settlements within the vicinity are met.
Useful statistics and obligation to play our part:
- In 2015, 71 percent of the global population (5.2 billion people) used a safely managed drinking-water service – that is, one located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination.
- Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces.
- By 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas.
- Since 2000, 1.4 billion people have gained access to basic drinking water services, such as piped water into the home or a protected dug well.
- Over 10 percent of the population still relies on untreated surface water in 22 countries.
- At least 10 percent of the world’s population is thought to consume food irrigated by waste water.
- 2.3 billion people still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Of these, 892 million still defecate in the open, for example in street gutters, behind bushes or into open bodies of water.
- The countries where open defection is most widespread have the highest number of deaths of children aged under 5 years as well as the highest levels of malnutrition and poverty, and big disparities of wealth.
- Almost 60 percent of deaths due to diarrhea worldwide are attributable to unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene and sanitation. Hand washing with soap alone can cut the risk of diarrhea by at least 40 percent.
- Diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation and unsafe water kills 315,000 children every year.