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Water
Water: essential to life
Refugees need a minimum of 7 litres per person per day, just to survive. In the arid regions where many of the displaced are forced to seek shelter, they need more. And to ensure minimum standards of health and sanitation, they need 20 litres of water per person each day.
Yet, UNHCR estimates that more than half of the world’s refugee camps are still not able to provide 20 litres per person, despite our intense efforts. UNHCR has the expertise to locate new water resources to ensure a reliable, long-term supply of water for the displaced, yet to do so, we urgently need your help!
Refugee Needs
For Survival
- In emergency situations, a refugee needs 7 litres per day of clean drinking water for drinking, cooking, washing and sanitation.
- Women and children walk many kilometres to fetch water from distant water points. The hours of exertion and exposure to sun and wind means they need even more water. And the women risk physical attack when they venture outside the camps.
Donor support for UNHCR
UNHCR Priorities
- UNHCR, with donor support, makes access to clean water a priority, and supplies 5 jerry cans per family, so refugees can carry and store water.
- UNHCR seeks renewable water resources; in the meantime, tanker trucks are used to bring clean water closer to refugees.
For Health
- Thirsty refugees are tempted to drink any water they can find, even if it’s contaminated. Drinking impure water can lead to serious waterborne illness, the main cause of refugee deaths. Diarrhea caused by impure water leads to malnutrition, anemia and other debilitating conditions.
UNHCR Priorities
- UNHCR, with donor support, finds new water sources, digs wells and creates distribution systems to bring clean water closer, so refugees can avoid impure water.
- UNHCR supplies filters and purification tablets to treat well water and prevent contamination.
For Self-Reliance and Dignity
- Without enough water, people cannot stay clean, cook a meal, or care for their children. Women and children spend many hours each day fetching water, instead of attending school or learning a new livelihood.
UNHCR Priorities
- UNHCR aims to provide enough water so refugees can tend small gardens, improve their food supply, earn a small income, and start rebuilding their lives.
- UNHCR educates refugees in water conservation and hygiene, and involves the communities in better management of their water supplies.
In the arid eastern lowlands of Ethiopia and the small country of Djibouti, tens of thousands of Somali refugees are in urgent need of water. Established camps like Kebribeya now supply 20 litres per person per day, thanks to donor support for UNHCR. Yet the recent crisis in Somalia has strained limited water resources. UNHCR needs more water trucks to deliver emergency supplies while working on longer term solutions: more boreholes, and hafir dams that conserve rainwater for use in the dry season.
Kebribeya Camp est. 1990
2 years ago: Suffered severe water crisis; refugees received less than 5 litres per day in dry season.
Today: Electrified pumping system completed in April, 2010, delivers 20 litres per person for 16,000 refugees and 35,000 farmers in local community.
Mission accomplished!
Ali Addeh Camp est. 1991
Today: 30,000 new arrivals (more than twice camp capacity), and refugees have less than 7 litres per day. They are digging their own wells without filters to purify water; disease is breaking out.
Needed: 5 tanker trucks for emergency water delivery; ceramic filters for water purification; new wells and distribution systems.
Aw Bare Camp est. 2007
Today: 8,000 refugees
Needed: To dig new bore holes; to build hafir dams to conserve rainwater; ceramic filters to purify water from 2 existing wells; jerry cans; distribution systems.
Sheder Camp est. 2008
Today: 8,000 refugees
Needed: Ceramic filters to purify water from 3 boreholes, jerry cans, tap stands to distribute water to refugees.
Your donations make a difference
There are so many ways your support will help us help these vulnerable people:
$43
can buy 25 jerry cans so refugees can carry water for their families.
$152
can help to supply filters and water purification tablets to purify water form boreholes and wells.
$360
can deliver a tap stand so refugees can fill their water containers.
$1,066
can help drill a new well and install a distribution system to bring water closer to refugees.
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