Somalia, the tragic picture of a country with half the population without access to drinking water and with children dying of dehydration or cholera

ROMA – If it is true that without water you die, in Somalia this is exactly the reality that millions of people face every day. For many families, everyday life literally resembles a circle of hell, made of civil war, attacks by fundamentalist groups and climate crisis, which is expressed in an increasingly extreme way. Today, half the population does not have access to drinking water and there are hundreds and hundreds of children dying from dehydration or cholera.

Yet the water is there. In Somalia there are fresh water resources, but they are wedged in deep underground aquifers that are difficult to reach. Private companies sell them at exorbitant prices and in some villages a liter of water costs more than in Miami. But there is also Flowa small community-based organization that is changing things. The members of the NGO Avaaz They directly funded their first project, which has already brought clean, affordable water to hundreds of homes. When water started flowing from the taps, residents erupted in joy, and private companies were forced to drastically cut prices overnight.

The expansion of the service. No Flow is ready to expand its service. With the help of Avaazwill be able to buy drilling rigs and tankers to supply millions more people in the coming years. For entire families, this means being able to cook and wash, grow crops and raise livestock. The contribution will also be used to fund environmental assessments, hire Somali workers and support campaigns Avaaz for safe drinking water for all. A transformative model.

In Somalia, 40% of existing water sources are no longer usable. Government inaction, combined with the catastrophic effects of climate change, allows the greed of water companies to inflict on families, forcing them to make unimaginable choices: pay for water or school. Fortunately, the solidarity of organizations like Flowallows – even if only partially – to change the state of things, drilling deeper wells, installing advanced treatment plants and connecting pipes directly to homes, schools and clinics, ensuring access to water even for the most vulnerable. The growing “competition” would thus push private water companies to drastically lower prices, with a knock-on effect that helps thousands more people.