Pedro Arrojo Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, reports from yesterday’s UN side event titled ‘Towards enhancing access to clean water and sanitation to achieve sustainable development goals nationally and internationally’ organized by the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations. Here the statement of Kuwait:
The State of Kuwait highlighted the importance of water as a fundamental human right. Ambassador Nasser Al-Hayen, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to improving access to clean water and sanitation services. This was stated during the event organized by the delegation yesterday on the sidelines of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council.
The UN Special Rapporteur, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, praised Kuwait’s role as a donor country in this field and condemned the use of water as a weapon in Gaza, pointing out the significant challenges that residents of the region face in obtaining safe drinking water.
Michael Talhami, the ICRC representative, stressed the critical importance of safeguarding water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly in conflict-affected regions. He emphasized that the destruction or disruption of these essential services not only worsens humanitarian crises but also has wide-ranging effects on public health, education, agriculture, and overall stability in the impacted countries. Talhami highlighted that without secure and continuous access to clean water and sanitation, the health, well-being, and livelihoods of millions of people, especially those in conflict zones, are placed in significant jeopardy.
Dr Hani Al-Ghawas from the Kuwait Fund for Development explained that the water projects supported by the fund benefit more than 500 million people in 95 countries, with a total cost exceeding $7.1 billion. They focus on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all.
Hadi Al-Ajmi from Direct Aid Society also underscored the organization’s role in facilitating access to clean water and sanitation services in 30 African countries and Yemen, highlighting the impact of their efforts, particularly in empowering women to provide clean water for their families, which contributes to improving living conditions in developing communities.
