Water problem more visible in conflict areas
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Aslı Sağlam
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 20, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The importance of water is more noticeable in times of armed conflicts. The Water and Habitat Unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, provides victims of armed conflicts with assistance and protection.
Water is the source for each human to survive, especially in the times of war and conflict. Tragically water scarcity may even set people against each other.
Head of Water and Habitat Unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, Robert Mardini said the mission of the ICRC is to provide victims of armed conflict and violence with assistance and protection. Within this shelter that the ICRC offers, water is a big issue. "Life is not conceivable without water," said Mardini, who has been working for the organization for 11 years. He has been to several field missions in the Middle East and Africa and returned to the headquarters of ICRC in 2001.
The importance of water is valid in normal life and it is more valid noticeable in times of armed conflict and in times where populations are facing dangerous situations, face major threats and risks due to the dynamic of the conflict itself.
Water supply in conflict areas
Mardini, a civil engineer, said the people living in conflict areas lack very often to essential services such as health cares and hospitals, schools, shops to be able to buy essential goods. In times of conflict water systems and electricity supplies are one of the very first things that are being disrupted. "Not all the time because they are directly hit by shillings or explosions but because the service is disrupted," he said.
The problem starts when the workers cannot go to the station to do their work, to push the button that will make the pump run for the network, which results in people not getting any water. Most of time the electricity lines are hit and without electricity you cannot pump, he adds: So it’s all interconnected. When pipelines are hit it destructs the distribution of the water, which is important for the wastewater disposal.
ICRC has a role to remind all parts of the conflicts and they have to protect all objects that are indispensable to the survival of the civil population, including water installations, irrigation works, hospitals and primary health care centers. "Civilians are protected by International Humanitarian Law because opposing sides in a conflict might to scare civilians and deny them their needs," he said.
Making it clear that ICRC is not only an organization that has confidential dialogue with the parties of the conflict but it also an organization that carries out works on behalf of the victims to help and to complement the efforts of the authorities in order to meet the needs of the people, Mardin said, the organization is present in 42 countries that are affected by conflicts.
ICRC is running programs sometimes for the civilians living in a city and sometimes for people displaced by conflict. They also carry out activi
Gaza in many years
ICRC has been in Gaza for many years and are the only remaining humanitarian organization. During the last conflict they had sergeants and medical staff working in the field, and they supported hospitals and electricity boards as they made repairs during the conflict. "Without electricity people cannot survive. Our workers worked with employees with the electricity board of Gaza at the height of the conflict," Mardini said.
Yet according to Mardini the situation in Gaza was already difficult for people before the conflict and very much so in terms of water and sanitation and access to health care. "What you should keep in mind is that people in Gaza have been going through a very violent armed conflict."
Because Gaza is using underground water the resources are shrinking and additionally because the population is rising rapidly the water is used more than the Earth gives the people. According to Mardini, the demographic growth has doubled in the last 20 years and is likely to continue. The number went up from 750,000 to 1.5 million. Besides having a very small territory, an extremely dense population and scarce water resources, the water is also polluted by the urban activity.
ICRC launched two projects in Gaza. One is a wastewater project, which is completed, aimed at treating the wastewater and the sewage in Gaza. The other being implemented is to improve water treatment and disposal. "But there are quick fixes. They have lifespan of five years and there is a need to do much more than this," Mardini said.
ICRC has its own funding and these projects are granted by all the countries that have adopted the Geneva Convention. To implement projects they work with the local municipal water utilities.
Mardini thinks the bottleneck for Gaza is not in financing. Money is available for Gaza, he said. "The bottleneck is all the challenges that are encountered to implement the projects. All materials and equipment to implement those projects should have a free passage to Gaza. There is a problem also in operating the existing ones that provide water to people. It’s a question of water supply and we cannot afford to have this vital service disrupted."
Water source of tension
According to ICRC employees who work with the communities, the projects in rural areas are very much initiated by the locals. They need to discuss with the inhabitants before launching the project. Water can even be the source of tension between communities because complex land issues. And ICRC at this point aims to ease the tension and push communities to cooperate. "In urban areas we need to cooperate with the water board but in rural areas the involvement of the communities are much more important. They need water but they also need to know a lot about water. We promote hygienic practices and teach them how to use the water. In countries like Gaza and Iraq it takes more time."
He gave the example of Somalia, where water is a scarce resource. When a country is not stable and authorities are no longer able to meet the needs of the inhabitants, the communities start fighting for water sources, he said. "And Somalia is also facing climate change. They have less water resources available and also more adversity created by the conflict."
The only thing that matters to ICRC when talking about water is the needs of the people.
"People have no choice but to cooperate. Of course the solutions will not always be perfect but there is more action on global cooperation on water," said Mardini, who describes himself as an optimistic man. He counts on the good will of the communities and thinks that it is never too late for cooperation.
Non-governmental organizations, including the ICRC, fundraising companies and water utilities discussed the latest situation in Gaza and West Bank yesterday to find long term solutions for water and sanitation services, that are not sustainable now. The session resulted in calling for a need of more protection of water supplies and investment in conflict areas.
Mardini sees the 5th World Water Forum as a great opportunity to put water on a high agenda and think of water from outside the box. According to Mardini it is related to too many issues such as land, health and energy. "The event will not end this weekend. The participants will have concrete results after the forum for moving forward with their cooperation," he said.
Head of Water and Habitat Unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, Robert Mardini said the mission of the ICRC is to provide victims of armed conflict and violence with assistance and protection. Within this shelter that the ICRC offers, water is a big issue. "Life is not conceivable without water," said Mardini, who has been working for the organization for 11 years. He has been to several field missions in the Middle East and Africa and returned to the headquarters of ICRC in 2001.
The importance of water is valid in normal life and it is more valid noticeable in times of armed conflict and in times where populations are facing dangerous situations, face major threats and risks due to the dynamic of the conflict itself.
Water supply in conflict areas
Mardini, a civil engineer, said the people living in conflict areas lack very often to essential services such as health cares and hospitals, schools, shops to be able to buy essential goods. In times of conflict water systems and electricity supplies are one of the very first things that are being disrupted. "Not all the time because they are directly hit by shillings or explosions but because the service is disrupted," he said.
The problem starts when the workers cannot go to the station to do their work, to push the button that will make the pump run for the network, which results in people not getting any water. Most of time the electricity lines are hit and without electricity you cannot pump, he adds: So it’s all interconnected. When pipelines are hit it destructs the distribution of the water, which is important for the wastewater disposal.
ICRC has a role to remind all parts of the conflicts and they have to protect all objects that are indispensable to the survival of the civil population, including water installations, irrigation works, hospitals and primary health care centers. "Civilians are protected by International Humanitarian Law because opposing sides in a conflict might to scare civilians and deny them their needs," he said.
Making it clear that ICRC is not only an organization that has confidential dialogue with the parties of the conflict but it also an organization that carries out works on behalf of the victims to help and to complement the efforts of the authorities in order to meet the needs of the people, Mardin said, the organization is present in 42 countries that are affected by conflicts.
ICRC is running programs sometimes for the civilians living in a city and sometimes for people displaced by conflict. They also carry out activi
Gaza in many years
ICRC has been in Gaza for many years and are the only remaining humanitarian organization. During the last conflict they had sergeants and medical staff working in the field, and they supported hospitals and electricity boards as they made repairs during the conflict. "Without electricity people cannot survive. Our workers worked with employees with the electricity board of Gaza at the height of the conflict," Mardini said.
Yet according to Mardini the situation in Gaza was already difficult for people before the conflict and very much so in terms of water and sanitation and access to health care. "What you should keep in mind is that people in Gaza have been going through a very violent armed conflict."
Because Gaza is using underground water the resources are shrinking and additionally because the population is rising rapidly the water is used more than the Earth gives the people. According to Mardini, the demographic growth has doubled in the last 20 years and is likely to continue. The number went up from 750,000 to 1.5 million. Besides having a very small territory, an extremely dense population and scarce water resources, the water is also polluted by the urban activity.
ICRC launched two projects in Gaza. One is a wastewater project, which is completed, aimed at treating the wastewater and the sewage in Gaza. The other being implemented is to improve water treatment and disposal. "But there are quick fixes. They have lifespan of five years and there is a need to do much more than this," Mardini said.
ICRC has its own funding and these projects are granted by all the countries that have adopted the Geneva Convention. To implement projects they work with the local municipal water utilities.
Mardini thinks the bottleneck for Gaza is not in financing. Money is available for Gaza, he said. "The bottleneck is all the challenges that are encountered to implement the projects. All materials and equipment to implement those projects should have a free passage to Gaza. There is a problem also in operating the existing ones that provide water to people. It’s a question of water supply and we cannot afford to have this vital service disrupted."
Water source of tension
According to ICRC employees who work with the communities, the projects in rural areas are very much initiated by the locals. They need to discuss with the inhabitants before launching the project. Water can even be the source of tension between communities because complex land issues. And ICRC at this point aims to ease the tension and push communities to cooperate. "In urban areas we need to cooperate with the water board but in rural areas the involvement of the communities are much more important. They need water but they also need to know a lot about water. We promote hygienic practices and teach them how to use the water. In countries like Gaza and Iraq it takes more time."
He gave the example of Somalia, where water is a scarce resource. When a country is not stable and authorities are no longer able to meet the needs of the inhabitants, the communities start fighting for water sources, he said. "And Somalia is also facing climate change. They have less water resources available and also more adversity created by the conflict."
The only thing that matters to ICRC when talking about water is the needs of the people.
"People have no choice but to cooperate. Of course the solutions will not always be perfect but there is more action on global cooperation on water," said Mardini, who describes himself as an optimistic man. He counts on the good will of the communities and thinks that it is never too late for cooperation.
Non-governmental organizations, including the ICRC, fundraising companies and water utilities discussed the latest situation in Gaza and West Bank yesterday to find long term solutions for water and sanitation services, that are not sustainable now. The session resulted in calling for a need of more protection of water supplies and investment in conflict areas.
Mardini sees the 5th World Water Forum as a great opportunity to put water on a high agenda and think of water from outside the box. According to Mardini it is related to too many issues such as land, health and energy. "The event will not end this weekend. The participants will have concrete results after the forum for moving forward with their cooperation," he said.