German WASH-network founded

German NGOs join forces to fight for WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for all people

20.06.2011 |Friedemann Klimek

Since the International Year of Sanitation in 2008, WECF is active in a German core NGO group in the field of sanitation. On Monday 6/20/2011, WECF together with 13 other NGOs founded a German network for WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

More cooperation, coordination and exchange of experiences among German organisations and their experts shall make the German contribution to solving one of the largest challenge of the 21st century more effective. According to recent WHO and UNICEF figures, some 900 million people worldwide live without access to clean water and 2.6 billion are without basic sanitation.

The members of the WASH-network share the common vision that all people have access to sustainable and safe water and sanitation and apply basic principles of hygiene. If this vision could become reality, every day approximately 5.000 children under five years would be saved.

The German Federal Minister of Development Cooperation Dirk Niebel welcomed the launch of the WASH-Network: "Only through a broad support by the civil society, Germany can meet international commitments. Therefore, social forces and networks for development policy and cooperation are very important. Many of the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed internationally in 2000, are not achievable without clean water and without a better water resource management. The improvement of water supply and basic sanitation is therefore a central focus of the German development cooperation."

The German scene is thus part of a current trend: almost simultaneously the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York opened a five-year promotional period (5-Year-Drive-to-2015 for Sustainable Sanitation) to reinforce the efforts of the United Nations for sustainable sanitation for all people. The aim is to draw more international and national attention and resources to solving this huge problem.

Founding members of the network are ADRA, Arche Nova, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, AT-Verband, BORDA, German Toilet Organization, Ingenieure ohne Grenzen, Johanniter Auslandshilfe, Malteser International, Noah Foundation, Solidaritätsdienst International, WECF, Welthungerhilfe and World Vision Deutschland.

For more info: Website of the 5-Year-drive-to-2015 for Sustainable Sanitation

WHO / UNICEF relevant statistics: http://www.wssinfo.org

Contact at WECF: Claudia Wendland, Claudia.wendland@wecf.eu

Press contact WASH-Network: Johannes Rück, johannes.rueck@germantoilet.org

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