At Water Mission, responding to disasters is an integral part of our work. In the initial days following a disaster, access to clean, safe water for drinking, hygiene, and sanitation is critical. Our ministry was born out of the need for safe water following the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras in 1998. Since that initial response, Water Mission has continued to provide relief in the wake of natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
When the conflict in Ukraine began in late February, Water Mission once again tapped into its deep experience in emergency response. We sent a team to the region to evaluate the safe water, sanitation, and hygiene needs of those impacted by the conflict. As of September, Water Mission and its partners in Ukraine had installed 25 safe water systems across the four cities of Mykolaiv, Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Myrnohrad. These systems have already produced more than 1.3 million gallons (5 million liters) of safe water for those impacted by the ongoing crisis.
Water Mission is also responding in Pakistan after heavy monsoon rains led to catastrophic flooding, leaving one-third of the country under water. Our rapid response provided clean, safe water to thousands of internally displaced people living in temporary camps. Thanks to the support of so many who have come alongside us, we were able to provide emergency shipments of water treatment systems, water purification supplies, and hygiene kits. As of September 20, our team on the ground in the Sindh province of Pakistan has installed multiple safe water treatment systems. Each system can provide enough safe water for 500 families each day. Residents of the Sindh region are now able to access safe water and avoid dangerous waterborne illnesses that become more prevalent after a disaster if safe water is not readily available. We are happy to share that another shipment is on its way to Pakistan.
Water Mission is blessed to be in the position to respond to multiple humanitarian crises at one time. Because of your generosity, we have been able to provide safe water to those displaced by heavy flooding in Pakistan, as well as those impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
To learn more about our efforts in Ukraine, visit watermission.org/help-people-in-ukraine/.
To learn more about our efforts in Pakistan, visit watermission.org/help-people-in-pakistan/.