Plenty of Water, Yet Contaminated!

What to do when water pollution is the only solution!
In remote areas, rural populations fully realize the grave danger behind contaminated water, yet they live with it!

Lacking access to safe & clean drinking water is a major health issue which the majority of rural population suffers from throughout their day-to-day life.

Qutuf is an affected area where almost 500 vulnerable families of host community and 273 HHs of affected IDPs are settled in. The high population density comes as a result of the countless displaced families from neighboring districts such as Mustaba, Kushar, Haradh and Maydi. It is situated in Gharbi Al Khamisayn sub district, Khairan Al Muharraq district of Hajjah governorate. People living there greatly suffer from all basic necessities of life. They have contracted cholera as a result of environmental pollutants and contaminated boreholes. Tragically, there are no health facilities around as the nearest health center is 35 km away. In addition, this area contains four collective sites of IDPs (Bani Dahesh compound, Bani Nayef compound, Qayim Qutuf compound, and Bani Al-Thumani compound), all of which depend on open wells as a main source of water.

Among all contaminated wells in the area, there is unfortunately one well which constitutes an imminent threat for an estimated number of 400 vulnerable households – more than two thirds of the population. Qutuf water well has become a grave danger for hundreds of lives due to its contaminated water. Every day, tens of people, including children walk for nearly 2 to 3 km in order to fetch contaminated drinking water. As a result, some children have had acute watery diarrhea, and others have contracted cholera. However, this water pollution, despite the abundant cases of cholera and diarrhea in children, remains their only solution.

Clean water is an absolute necessity of all human basic needs. Let’s make sure people who live in remote areas with poor sanitation facilities have easy and adequate access to safe drinking water.