Everything in our lives is related in some way to water, which throughout history has been known as the origin and essence of life. It is the basis of creation and closely related to our existence and survival. Therefore, safe water accessibility is a right for all creatures. However, the water crisis made this right face many obstacles before it becomes a reality while access to safe water can transform problems and obstacles into potentials and opportunities in terms of enabling people to direct the time they use for collecting water for other purposes like study or work. It also contributes to improving health for women, children, and families all around the world.
However, on World Water Day 2020, the water crisis is exacerbating to unprecedented levels
- 875 million people, or 1 in 9 people worldwide, still cannot access safe drinking water sources.
- This crisis poses a huge burden on women and girls in particular. 200 million girls and women around the world spend approximately 266 million hours annually fetching water.
- Moreover, water quality is responsible for causing the death of a child every two minutes as a result of water-related diseases, which makes water the third leading cause of child mortality around the world.
- In other words, approximately one million people die annually as a result of diseases linked to water, sanitation, and personal care.
In light of these facts, Hayat Yolu has upheld its responsibility to alleviate part of this crisis for the communities to which we provide our services.
On World Water Day, Hayat Yolu opens the sixth desalination plant in the Gaza Strip. That comes in response to the severe need in the Gaza Strip, where 97% of the water in the Gaza
The strip is classified as not safe for human consumption due to high levels of pollution and salinity.
These free of charge stations cover the needs of the regions around the clock. The places of installation of these stations are carefully chosen after performing laboratory tests on water wells. We are also keen to choose the poorest residential communities. Therefore, our intervention contributes to reducing the economic burdens on citizens.
Hayat Yolu drilled two water wells earlier in the Gaza Strip to somehow reduce the water crisis. The two wells serve the same goals. Thus, bringing the total number of wells that Hayat Yulu drilled in the world to 24 wells. Hayat Yolu drilled 22 wells in Africa in the neediest places that the residents used to walk long hours to collect water.
When we opened our sixth station in the Gaza Strip, we met Mrs. Latifa and her husband. They are residents of the area, they carried their empty water gallons to fill them from the new desalination plant.
Testimonies
Mrs. Latifa talked to us saying, “We have many financial burdens, we have two sons studying in the university and a daughter studying at school. Our income is very limited, my husband works on a daily basis and we can barely cover our daily needs. Providing the price of water for sure will save us some money that we can direct to other needs. Since the beginning of the school year, I couldn’t give my daughter her pocket money for schools, she is always sad for that but never show this, but I feel it, I can now give school pocket money and concluded her speech saying” I thank everyone who thinks about us, and thinks to reduce our burdens. If it was not water, we may could have handled without it, but this is water”
