Something more precious than gold...Clean Water

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A Humanitarian Crisis' Is Unfolding in Iraq

According to a recently released report by the British Aid Agency Oxfam, a 'humanitarian crisis' is unfolding in Iraq where a third of the population is in need of immediate emergency aid, The report said the Iraqi government was failing to provide basic essentials such as water, sanitation, food, and shelter for up to 8 million people. Four million Iraqis had been uprooted by the violence, more than 2 million people had been displaced inside the country, while a further 2 million had fled to neighboring countries.

Shelter For Life Responds By Supplying Clean Water to Thousands

Erbil, Iraq Shelter For Life International (SFL) has successfully completed a 3.7 million dollar pipeline project in Northern Iraq that will supply clean drinking water to more than 165,000 people. In addition, more than 20,000 children were trained in hygiene and water conservation. Funding for the project was provided by a grant from the US State Department's Bureau of Population and Refugee Migration (BPRM) along with material contributions for the project from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq.

Comprehensive Sustainable Water Project

Randall Olson, the President of Shelter For Life, along with the Governor of Erbil, Mr. Nawzad Hadi and U.S. Regional Coordinator Jess Baily from the State Department participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony in the city of Soran, Iraq at the pumping station for the 8.75 mile stretch of pipeline that delivers clean water to four separate communities.

U.S. Regional Coordinator Jess Baily said, "This project represents a success not only for the people of Soran, but also for the United States and the Kurdistan Regional Government. I'd like to commend Shelter For Life for completing this project on-time and under-budget. I'm also so pleased they were able to conduct accompanying trainings for local officials and residents on proper sanitation and conservation. This will ensure that the infrastructure they have put in place is sustainable decades into the future."

According to a recently report by the UN almost one billion people in the world are in need of clean water. Water in the Middle East is precious and in short supply, including many areas of Iraq. Shelter for Life Country Director Jim Gould said, "I submit to you that something far more precious than gold or oil is in the mountains of Kurdistan – water."

Shelter For Life has been delivering water by tanker trucks interim basis to more than 1,000 families in the city of Soran, Iraq before the water supply project was completed. In addition to water delivery and water supply systems, the project included a community development component, which provided public awareness principles for hygiene and the environment; an environmental awareness program especially designed for over 20,000 schoolchildren, regarding waste materials and its disposal; health and hygiene training for women; the promotion of municipal waste management; and radio programming to broadcast public health messages, and finally billboards in the community reminding residents to dispose of waste properly.

Read more about our work in Iraq in our Where We Serve: Iraq pages.