Water: A Growing Crisis

Throughout North America, the average person uses over 100 gallons of water daily. Considering that people in developing countries use less than 3 gallons on any given day, a major water disparity is evident.

For individuals in impoverished countries, there is little hope. Sadly, parents can only stand back and watch as their children become sick, weak, and often die. For these communities, even the most basic needs are extremely difficult to meet. Of all the challenges they face, one of the greatest is the lack of water deemed safe enough to drink. In today’s world, there is simply no reason for humans to suffer. Clean water changes everything.

How You Can Help

We’ve all heard it before. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. The good news is that you can be part of the solution today. You can make a difference in the lives of people who struggle with poor sanitation conditions and lack access to safe water. To better understand the magnitude of the problem, consider the latest statistics:

• Almost 1 billion people around the globe do not have access to safe drinking water
• Annually, 1.8 million children die from diseases related to poor sanitation and contaminated water. That means that every 20 seconds, a child loses his or her precious life.
• Close to 50% of the children in the world live in poverty. To most, these conditions are invisible.
• Millions of women and children travel miles just to find water; even then, most sources are polluted.
• The most serious public health threats are diseases related to inadequate sanitation and unsafe drinking water. In developing countries, these two factors account for 80% of all illnesses.
• Every day, 50% of people living in developing countries suffer from at least one disease, again in direct correlation with poor sanitation and unsafe water.
• Of all the Earth’s fresh water, only 0.007% is readily accessible for human use.
• Water is a key contributor to the alleviation of poverty through improved sanitation services; affordable food; and better resilience to disease, environmental degradation, and climate shocks.

Poor sanitation and lack of safe water are real problems for millions upon millions of people in developing countries. However, there is a viable solution. Please join us today as Water for Life works to help restore the human dignity of people worldwide.