Water is Life; Providing safe drinking water to those in the District Kurram

Drinking safe and clean water is a basic right all humans possess, but over time, as the world population increases, it becomes more difficult for everyone to access clean drinking water. Pakistan is one country that has been facing this issue, and requires immediate attention in order to find a solution to the issue. According to WaterAid, a non-governmental, non-profit organization focused on water and hygiene problems globally, Pakistan has ranked ninth in the ″The list of top 10 countries with lowest access to clean water″, and of the 207 million people living in Pakistan today, over 21 million of them have no means of accessing clean water.

Along with UNOCHA, our partner organization, JEN has been working on constructing and repairing water supply schemes in the most underdeveloped regions of Kurram district of Pakistan. JEN is currently in the research phase, and has been visiting low-income regions and regions especially in need of clean water to conduct analysis of those areas.

These areas are surrounded by beautiful forests and spring water sources, but there is no means of transporting that clean spring water to villages and individual houses, and therefore, the area continues to suffer from the lack of access to clean water. Additionally, water transportation pipes that were previously constructed have completely worn out, and now carry contaminated water. Sources of spring water themselves lack any means of preservation, and have become contaminated leading to problems such as frequent diarrhea and other illnesses related to ingesting that water.

Spring water sources exist in some villages, but due to the increase in population and the lack of an established system to distribute the limited water source to all, not everyone is able to access the water. For example, in the village of Manrho kalay, a spring water source exists, but residents of the village are unable to access clean water.

Because this village is in serious need of a clean water source, the JEN team chose to set up the water supply scheme in this location. Upon conducting technological analysis of the region, the team came to the realization that this village is the most in need of this water source scheme. The people of the region were very excited and eager about being able to drink safe water in the near future. The elder of the village warmly welcomed the team, and supported them throughout the analysis period, and were very thankful of the team`s contribution to the village.