Yemen Water Crisis & Samosa Fundraiser
At the expense of public health and safety, civil wars and political tensions continue to escalate in Yemen. You may have heard about this on the news, but oftentimes we fail to recognize the impacts that such circumstances can have on public health and access to clean water. Over 16 million people in Yemen have no access to clean water and 90% of the population depends on water being delivered into their cities. Due to conflicts in the region, many are forced to flee their homes and resettle in areas where families are depending on a few wells to provide clean water.
Take a minute to reflect on the number of times you had access to clean water today, and how life would be if access to water for drinking and sanitation was scarce. This is a reality for many people in Yemen, as some must walk hours to wells where the water is contaminated. This contributes to the spreading of waterborne diseases such as cholera. According to UNICEF, over 1 million were ill with cholera in 2017 and the number of waterborne illnesses continues to increase. These complications could be minimized with access to clean water for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene.
Samosa Sale FUNdraiser x Operation Water Crisis
Are you someone who is passionate for samosas, global health 🌍and has impeccable taste buds? GMI hosted a Samosas sale + water tasting 💧event! All funds raised will be donated to a partner organization during our annual Gala next semester. The water tasting portion involved participants trying a sip of water and see if they can tell whether the water is tap, filtered or PC brand water. Prizes are won if answers were correct.
Through this event, we hoped to inform pharmacy students about the Yemen water crisis. Access to water supply sanitation in Yemen is as low or even lower than that in many sub-Saharan African countries. The country’s main source of water supply is from its underground river, however, it is not regulated by the government. From the extreme limited water source, 45% of it is used to grow narcotics in the country. Ever since the 2015 Yemen Civil War, the situation is increasingly dire. 80% of the country's population struggles to access water to drink and bathe.
