Water: Critical to Ending Hunger

Today, we celebrate World Water Day!

This month and ahead of the 2015 Millennium Development Goal’s target date, the world succeeded in reducing by half the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Between 1990 and 2010, over two billion people gained access to improved drinking-water sources.

Yet, disparities remain between regions, urban and rural settings, and the rich and poor. Long-term progress on a variety of issues, including health, food security, gender equality and environmental sustainability, is dependent on whether people have ongoing access to safe drinking water, sanitation and sound hygiene practices.

This year’s World Water Day focuses on the link between water and food security. Watch this video from UNWater or read more to find out why water is so important to food security.

The Hunger Project (THP) works to end hunger by empowering rural communities to ensure increased access to clean water and improved sanitation, develop new water sources, and implement water conservation techniques. We invite you to invest in THP’s village partners who are working to end their own hunger with access to reliable, sustainable clean water sources.

Community Statement on World Water Day
	THP joins partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in supporting water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as a critical element of U.S. foreign policy and as a cost-effective investment with significant impact across sectors – from economic empowerment to nutrition to prevention of violence against women. Today, on March 22, many of our partners will be on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC in support of the World for the World Act. THP is one of the supporting organizations endorsing the shared Community Statement on this issue.
Improving Access to Water: What We Do
	In addition to working with communities to build new and improved water sources in the villages where we work, THP works to build local capacity by establishing water project boards made up of community leaders; training people to use and repair pumps; and raising awareness on water safety and purification. Read more about what we do to mobilize our village partners to access reliable, sustainable clean water sources.
Water and Poverty MDG Targets Met Ahead of Schedule
	Check out THP’s blog post on the terrific news about the drinking water and poverty targets of the Millennium Development Goals being met ahead of schedule. The UN’s report shows that many small countries have made the greatest advances in water access, including THP Program Countries Malawi and Burkina Faso, and suggests that more than 90 percent of the world's population will have access to clean water by 2015. Read more.

The Hunger Project
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