4000 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.
Can you help us send 1,000 tweets TODAY?
170,000 people have now signed up to take part in the World Walks for Water and Sanitation in March! They will be calling on their Development and Finance Ministers to attend the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-Level Meeting on 20 April in Washington DC and take action to end the water and sanitation crisis.
Currently the EU is not a member of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership (SWA), although several EU members states are. But with a big Europe Aid budget we all think they should join. Their budget for WASH should be much bigger, and they should coordinate their aid far more.
They do have a budget for water and sanitation, and we'd like them to show more global leadership, and to take part in this major event. The results could be that the High Level Meeting is more successful in achieving change, that aid is better targeted for the countries and communities that need it most, and that the EU take an active part in the national SWA partnerships - and as a result, that millions more people have access to water and sanitation
It would be a real coup if the EU changed its mind and joined the SWA and attended the High Level Meeting in Washington in April - this is where you come in!
Can you help us put the pressure on the key man - European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs?
This week we've sent a letter signed by 17 European organisations to the Commissioner. You can take a look at this letter here! (
DOCX File 1085KB)
DOCX File 1085KB) Here are two suggested actions:
1. Could your organisation also write a short letter to the Commissioner?
2. Could you Tweet the Commissioner today, and encourage others to tweet too? It doesn't matter if you are not based in the EU! All tweets will help!
We're aiming for a thousand tweets during the day! Can you help us achieve this target and make sure that the Commissioner knows we are serious about ending the water and sanitation crisis?!
Suggested tweets (with your/your organisation's @name added) are:
@APiebalgsEU Will you be attending the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting in Washington in April?
@APiebalgsEU Please take action on the global water crisis and attend the April SWA High Level Meeting. Thanks!
@APiebalgsEU 884 million people don't have clean water - can the EU take the lead on tackling this global crisis? #waterwednesday
You can also use #walkforwater to tell us and the Commissioner why you are taking part in the World Walks for Water and Sanitation next month and what you are calling for!