European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
Service tools
Service tools
Water, sanitation and hygiene (also known as WASH) are closely connected and essential for good public health. In emergency and crisis situations, providing access to clean water in sufficient quantities is paramount. Basic sanitation and hygiene education are important for a healthy living environment.
Every year, 30 million people flee their homes as a result of conflict or natural disaster, while over 200 million are affected by natural hazards. Very often, these displaced people lack access to sufficient and adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) during the emergency because water supply and sanitation systems are damaged or destroyed. Due to climate change and urbanisation, the number of people without access to safe water is expected to double by 2025, reaching 2 billion people.
Lack of access to clean water and to basic sanitation, and low hygiene standards increase the vulnerability of populations to epidemic outbreaks. Every year, 289 000 children under five die of diarrhoeal diseases. WASH therefore represents one of the main sectors of humanitarian operations.
The European Commission is one of the largest humanitarian donors of WASH assistance worldwide. In 2017, it provided €136 million for projects improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
The European Commission increasingly supports projects which incorporate WASH components within other humanitarian areas, such as nutrition or shelter, to increase effectiveness. It also places special emphasis on enabling endangered populations to have quick access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, helping to build their resilience against crises and taking preventive action against water-borne diseases. Whenever possible, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities are integrated into water supply interventions in order to reduce the risk of water contamination and water-borne diseases. This approach also ensures that projects are community-led and promote self-sufficiency as part of exit strategies.
The European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) draws its expertise in this humanitarian area from a network of regional and global WASH and shelter experts, its country experts as well as its NGO, UN and Red Cross partners.
The European Commission prioritises three areas in the field of WASH:
40% of the global population is affected by water scarcity
4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation such as toilets or latrines;
892 million people practice open defecation
1 000 children die every day from preventable water and sanitation-related diarrheal diseases (UN)
Factsheet