World Water Week: 70 million people connected to drinking water thanks to EU aid
Around 9 out of 10 people now have access to drinking water. The EU has contributed actively to this achievement by providing, between 2004 and 2012, access to drinking water to more than 70 million people in developing countries and improved sanitation facilities to more than 24 million people.
Although the overall Millennium Development Goal on Water (i.e. to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to drinking water and basic sanitation) has been attained, 768 million people still lack access to this vital resource. Furthermore, 2.5 billion people are still without adequate sanitation, which is one of the goals in which results are insufficient. At the current rate of progress, just 67% will have these facilities by 2015, which is well below the goal of 75%. That is why the EU has allocated a total of almost €2 billion (€1 919 billion) to the water and sanitation sectors in 62 countries over the period 2008-2013.
For more information: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-760_en.htm
