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This Friday, March 22nd, International Medical Corps marks the UN’s World Water Day in support of clean, accessible water supply for vulnerable communities worldwide.
In 2012, the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water was achieved. Between 1990 and 2010, over two billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources. In 2012 alone, International Medical Corps provided over 225,000 people worldwide with access to improved drinking water. Yet there is still much to do with millions still lacking access to safe drinking water and even more lacking adequate sanitation, many of them in countries where we work.
Global estimates suggest that nearly 2.5 billion people are still in need of improved sanitation. Lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation are the main causes of diarrheal disease amongst children under 5, which remains the second biggest killer of children across the developing world. In 2012, International Medical Corps provided nearly 110,000 people with new access to improved sanitation facilities, in countries from Somalia to Haiti to Pakistan and many more.
Recognizing that public health cannot be achieved without clean water, International Medical Corps has made water and safe sanitation priorities for our humanitarian work.
To learn more about World Water Day and International Medical Corps’ work, visit: http://worldwaterday.internationalmedicalcorps.org/
Contact: Jaya Vadlamudi, Senior Communications Officer, International Medical Corps jvadlamudi@InternationalMedicalCorps.org 310 826 7800
