Mark Lazarowicz MP for Edinburgh North and Leith has pledged his support to WaterAid’s Water Works campaign to bring safe water and sanitation to the world’s poorest people.

The United Nations has just announced that the Millennium Development Goal on water has been reached.  An additional 2 billion people have accessed clean water within the last 20 years.

Mark said:-“It is great news that we have met the Millennium Development Goal on water – this shows that aid is working and that we are making progress in eradicating poverty.”

“However, there is still much work to be done, as 783 million people still don’t have safe water to drink, and around 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation.  That traps people in poverty.

“The UK has a key role to play along with other countries to concentrate our efforts on bringing water and sanitation to all.”

Preventable diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation are the biggest killer of children in Africa, and illness and hours spent collecting water from distant sources keep children out of school and prevent adults from earning a living.

As world leaders prepare to meet in Washington next month for a crucial meeting on water and sanitation, WaterAid is encouraging the public to support its Water Works campaign, which aims to highlight the importance of these basic necessities in tackling poverty.

 

+ posts