LatinaLista — It’s being reported by relief workers in Haiti that the lack of clean water and proper sewage could prove to be even more devastating than the initial earthquake. The lack of both of these essentials could cause widespread disease that could kill hundreds.
Unfortunately, Haiti isn’t the only place on the planet facing such a dilemma. Wherever there is drought in the world or archaic or non-existent sewage systems, people are at risk.
Today, in conjunction with World Water Day, an international campaign, to bring attention to the disparities that exist in the world over sanitation and clean water, has begun. It’s called The World’s Longest Toilet Queue
There’s a global crisis affecting 2.5 billion people, and it’s killing more children than malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB combined – the lack of access to clean water and basic sanitation.
These two basic human rights are being refused to people across the world and it’s leading to horrific consequences.
~ 4000 children under the age of five dying every day from preventable water related illnesses such as diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
~ Over half of hospital beds in developing countries are taken by those suffering with diarrhoeal illnesses, heavily overburdening fragile health systems.
~ The UN estimates that half of girls who stop attending primary school in Africa do so because of the lack of safe and private toilets.
The reason for the campaign now is because on April 22, 2010, the world’s first High-Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water will take place in Washington, DC. The meeting is being held as part of the Global Framework for Action on Sanitation and Water.
Campaign organizers hope to mobilize people into asking their governments to support developing countries “by providing smart aid that is better targeted towards the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.”
At the same time, (March 21-22), organizers are hoping to establish a Guinness World Record for the longest toilet queque (waiting in line for a toilet).
As of now, the current record is 868 people in one line.
Organizers hope to break that record, as well as, the idea that it’s OK for some people to go without clean water or sufficient sewage.