Clean Water & Sanitation

Poor water sources and inadequate sanitation are often major causes of illness in refugee camps and given the particularly difficult environmental conditions within which many camps are situated, water and sanitation pose a serious challenge for the UN Refugee Agency. Thanks to generous donations, however, UNHCR is able to conitnue working with refugees and professionals to improve the current state of water and sanitation in camps.

The emergency: Many refugee camps are situated in arid areas of Africa and Central Asia or in hot wet regions where water-borne diseases and parasites pose serious threats to refugees. Even in established camps in eastern Chad, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, most refugees receive far less than the international minimum water requirement of 20 litres per person per day. Overcrowding easily results in water contamination and diseases like dysentery, bloody diarrhoea and cholera are widespread.

UNHCR's role: Ensuring that camp-based refugees have a safe and adequate supply of clean water is an ongoing challenge for UNHCR and its partners. Many camps are located in arid areas of Africa and central Asia or in hot wet regions where water-borne diseases and parasites pose a particular threat to refugees. The UN Refugee Agency works to improve the conditions of the camps to deliver access to water and sanitation.

Relief provided: Donations to the Clean Water and Sanitation Program have allowed the UN Refugee Agency to address a camp's need for clean water. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to provide the following materials in emergency and ongoing situations to ensure refugees have clean and safe drinking water:

• Jerry cans
• Buckets
• Water points
• Water wells and pipelines
• Water purification plants

Total funds raised: $141,054

Read more examples of how your donations have contributed to other UNHCR Programs.