Water takes up over 70% of the earth's surface; however, only 1% is available as freshwater. Over one billion people lack access to safe water. Water-related diseases result in over five million deaths every year, most of them children.
Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) calls on governments to "halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation".
Water is now recognized as a human right, and every government has an obligation to fulfill every individual’s rights to safe drinking water. It is believed that provision of safe water - and sanitation - is the key to human and economic development in underdeveloped communities.
Research worldwide shows that poor access to water condemns women and children to spend hours in water collection - time that could instead be spent for income generation and education, especially for female children.
The problem looks so serious that the UN has proclaimed the period 2005-2015 to be International decade for Action - Water is Life - the aim being to emphasize the urgency for achieving the water and sanitation targets.
It is against the background of the above the Mr Lorne Theophilus is very concerned about the prevailing water crisis in St. Lucia and specifically in Choiseul. He wants to ensure that the vulnerable (especially children and the elderly) has access to a safe supply of drinking water; and for that purpose, Mr Theophilus has procured a supply of bottled water for distribution to them. The water will be distributed on November 19 and 20 to the needy of Choiseul and Saltibus.
A correction Cyberboss. That young man was seen on a boat from the Monday after the hurricane bringing in hundreds of cases of water, plus food and clothing for distribution in Choiseul. He was the first one to respond and he came every day braving the seas whilst others were escaping via helicopter. I personally saw him one day barefoot, and soaking wet as he had to jump into the sea to get to shore, but with a smile on his face as he offloaded supplies. God bless that young man.
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