Naomi Long MP and Fiona Bruce MP joined Tearfund to hand in over 10,000 postcards to the Department for International Development, calling on the Government to prioritise water and sanitation through its aid programme.
Around the world there are still over 800 million people who don’t have access to clean water and 2.6 billion who don’t have access to basic sanitation such as a safe toilet. As a consequence, many children are dying needlessly and diseases resulting from diarrhoea are still the biggest killer of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.
“UK aid can really make a difference and save lives” said Naomi Long MP. “By investing in a crucial sector like water and sanitation, we can also improve the health and education of millions of people around the world.”
Naomi Long, a former civil engineer who worked in water engineering, added, “There is a global sanitation crisis and the UK Government must rise to the challenge. Poverty will not be eradicated unless we address this massive injustice.”
“Tearfund is calling on the UK Government to be a global water and sanitation leader by promoting the ‘Sanitation and Water for All’ initiative”, says Ben Niblett, Head of Campaigns at Tearfund. “4000 children die every day from preventable diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene but the international community could stop this. The UK has done the right thing in keeping its aid promise and we hope they will use a good chunk of this money to bring water and sanitation to those who need it”
ENDS
Photo attached is of Naomi Long MP meeting with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Stephen O’Brien MP at the handover of over 10,000 postcards calling on the Government to prioritise water and sanitation through its aid programme.