Humanitarian
Water is essential for all life. Access to clean drinking water is a human need, yet over 600 million people currently don’t have access to it. Drinking water is derived from two basic sources: surface waters, such as rivers and reservoirs, and groundwater. Access to safe water in developing countries is not limited to people’s homes – more than half of all primary schools in developing countries don’t have adequate water facilities. Drinking water contaminated with bacteria, viruses and parasites lead to dehydration, malnutrition, and easily preventable diarrheal diseases, which cause over 1.6 million deaths per year.
Refugee camps are one of the most conventional ways to organize, protect and fulfil the basic needs of people displaced by conflict or natural disaster. Humanitarian aid interventions are intended to be short-term in contrast to long-term development aid. Global Humanitarian Assistance defines humanitarian aid as “aid and action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity, during and in the aftermath of emergencies”. However, the reality is that in many circumstances, refugee populations remain dependent on aid much longer than anticipated. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that the average time a refugee spends in camp is 17 years.
Off-grid devices, like NESMD will enable refugee settlements to be self-sufficient and provide sustainable low-cost access to drinking water. Additionally, Waterkeys® will enable international relief organizations and NGOs the ability to monitor the capabilities from anywhere on the globe.
