Kuwait Envoy Highlights Importance Of Ensuring Access To Safe Water

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations Naser Abdullah Al-Hayen affirmed Kuwait's commitment to effectively contributing to global efforts to improve access to clean water and sanitation services and promote human rights.
Kuwait Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva organized a symposium on the sidelines of the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ambassador Al-Hayen said in post-event statements to KUNA on Wednesday.
The symposium gathered many representatives of diplomatic delegations and international organizations, and high-level guests.
Ambassador Al-Hayen affirmed Kuwait's keenness to enhance international cooperation in confronting the water shortage crisis and its prominent role in alleviating the suffering of millions of people in areas witnessing severe crises, such as the Gaza Strip. Statics show that many residents suffer from severe water shortages.
He explained that the choice of the water topic comes due to its close connection to the human rights system, noting Kuwait's prominent role at the regional and international levels through its support of clean water and sanitation projects through the Kuwait Fund for Development and non-governmental organizations.
The Special Rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Agudo, praised Kuwait's role as a donor country in this field during his speech at the symposium via video.
Agudo explained that the global water crisis, which affects more than 100 million people, is a global governance crisis, and its solution requires an international agreement.
In the same context, the Special Rapporteur denounced during his speech the use of water as a weapon in the war on Gaza, describing it as a silent bomb. It was also noted that the per capita share of potable water in the Gaza Strip does not exceed 4.7 liters daily. The representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Michael Telhami, praised Kuwait's role in international efforts to provide clean water.
He also stressed during his speech the importance of securing the infrastructure for delivering water and sanitation services, especially in areas affected by conflicts. Talhami pointed out that the world is witnessing a rapid increase in population while water is declining sharply.
This will deepen the crisis and its impact on education, health, agriculture, and stability, especially in the most affected African countries, and cause increased migration and displacement. In the context of humanitarian projects, the representative of the Kuwait Fund for Development, Dr. Hani Al-Ghawas, explained that Kuwait's priorities include investing in providing clean water for all, aiming to leave no one in the world without water.
Al-Ghawas stated that the Fund's various projects affect more than 500 million people worldwide, of whom more than 35 million people actually benefit from projects to provide potable water and sanitation services in 95 countries, which are worth USD 7.1 billion.
The representative of the Direct Aid Society, Hadi Al-Ajmi, stressed the society city's role in facilitating access to clean water and sanitation services in 30 African countries and Yemen. He concentrated on Societies sety's countries in women's empowerment projects, which are considered the central pillar in providing families with potable water and improving living conditions in developing societies.
This event is part of global efforts to achieve the sixth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring clean water and sanitation services for all by 2030. Statistics indicate that 97 percent of the Earth's surface water is unsuitable for drinking or agriculture due to pollution and climate change threatening the global water supply. (end)
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