Children at a water project executed by Qatar Red Crescent Society.
Doha: During 2022, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) executed 14 water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects for 437,250 beneficiaries in eight countries including Sudan, Gaza, Yemen, Mali, Lebanon, India, Syria, and Somalia.
WASH came fourth among QRCS’s sectors last year, with a budget of QR12,193,409. QRCS foreign representation offices/missions dug and equipped hundreds of surface water wells and boreholes, supplied them with pumps and tanks, provided water coolers at public utilities, operated water purification plants, deployed water tankers, constructed water supply and sewage networks, and supported irrigation projects.
During emergencies, WASH is indispensable to those affected by disasters and/or crises. They can survive in case of no medical care or inadequate food, but not when lacking potable water for even a day.
That is why QRCS typically includes this critical component in its emergency response plans, applying the Sphere Project criteria of water and sanitation assistance; water resources, storage, purification, consumption, and quality testing; handling of human waste and contaminated water; garbage collection; and promotion of hygiene awareness.
In these activities, QRCS adopts the latest tools and techniques for the construction of emergency toilets and installation/operation of the Kit-5 WATSAN emergency response kit.
This year, it plans to launch eight new water projects in five countries - Somalia, Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, and Niger, for the benefit of 184,500 displaced people, refugees, and host communities. At a total cost of QR10,270,773, these projects are aimed at addressing the gap in clean water resources, reducing waterborne diseases, and enhancing resilience of affected people.
For QRCS to be able to implement water projects, donations of the benevolent people of Qatar are much needed, by visiting the website www.qrcs.org.qa or mobile application, calling the donor service at 66666364 or home donation collection at 33998898, or sending an SMS with “water” to the following numbers: 92552 (QR250), 92869 (QR350), 92092 (QR500), 92556 (QR750), 92246 (QR1,000).
