On the occasion of World Water Day, which will take place on Friday, March 22, the Foundation will focus on the drinking water crisis in Palestine.
In comparison to other emergencies (wars, economic crises, occupation ...), the issue of water scarcity in Palestine is often ignored and relegated to the background of concerns. However, Palestinian families are experiencing a real ordeal, every day, to obtain drinking water. The minimum recommended consumption by the WHO is 100 liters per day while the Palestinians only have access to half (162 l / day for a Swiss). Natural causes (dry and arid climate, strong demography and pollution) are added to the political causes that prevent Palestinians from having sufficient access to drinking water and building viable infrastructure.
In Gaza, the crisis has particularly worsened in recent years. Only 10% of the population has access to drinking water * (The World Bank). Not only is water increasingly rare, but it is also of very poor quality. 96% of the water is unfit for consumption and 90 to 95% of the coastal aquifer (the strip's only source of water) is polluted with dramatic health consequences, especially for children. Poor water quality is one of the leading causes of child mortality in Gaza and more than a quarter of the reported diseases are caused by the drinking water crisis.
A strategic plan for water (building desalination plants) has been launched for the period 2017-22 by the authorities and international institutions to deal with it. But by 2022, Palestinians must continue to fend for themselves.
Since 2012, the Foundation has been carrying out various projects to allow Palestinians, mainly schoolchildren, to have access to drinking water. In 2019, the Foundation is launching a project to provide drinking water to the poorest families: with only CHF 100, we will be able to provide a family with a reservoir with drinking water for 6 months.
Support the Foundation and allow these families to obtain drinking water during the coming summer months. You can donate directly from our site: click here
Thank you for your generosity.