Disaster Response Archives

2020 Snapshot: Serving 1.6 Million People Around the World Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted January 20th, 2021 by Water Mission.

2020 opened with the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic—introducing even more urgent needs for safe water and fresh challenges to providing that access. Yet with your support and prayers, Water Mission was able to serve more people in this difficult year than ever before. Together, we delivered safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions to over 1.6 million people around the world. While we quickly developed new protocols and specific solutions to meet COVID-related needs, we also accelerated our ongoing work in rural communities, crowded refugee settings, and in response to natural disasters. Our 400 staff members, based at our U.S. headquarters and in nine permanent country ... Read More

The Journey to Recovery Following Hurricanes Eta and Iota

Posted December 22nd, 2020 by Water Mission.

In early November, Hurricane Eta left a path of devastation throughout Honduras, causing extensive flooding and damage and forcing entire communities to evacuate to emergency shelters. Two weeks later, Hurricane Iota took a similar path through Central America, impacting many of the same communities that experienced significant damage. In Honduras alone, these back-to-back storms affected more than 3 million people, displacing nearly 180,000 from their homes. After any natural disaster, safe water is the number one need. Water Mission’s Honduras team immediately began trucking in water from the country office in Tocoa, to emergency shelters and impacted communities. It has now been weeks since the storms hit the country, but Water Mission continues to respond ... Read More

Students and Teachers in Tanzania Now with Access to Safe Water for Handwashing Amid COVID-19

Posted December 7th, 2020 by Acadia Munari.

Life without water. A thought so unimaginable that when you realize communities lack access to clean, safe water for handwashing—even amid COVID-19—it makes you stop in your tracks. How can this be? A resource so readily available to so many is still out of reach for nearly one-third of the world’s population. It’s a statistic that Water Mission and so many other organizations are dedicated to ending, including our new partner Azimuth World Foundation. Water Mission’s Partnership with Azimuth World Foundation Two students at Kiganamo Primary School wash their hands while using a handwashing station funded by Azimuth World Foundation. In March, our team embarked on a mission to ensure people around the world have access to handwashing supplies amid COVID-19. We recently completed the installation of 30 handwashing stations at 15 primary schools in Kasulu, Tanzania. ... Read More

Disaster Response: Rebuilding Communities in Western Honduras After Landslide Wipes Out Municipal Water Source

Posted October 23rd, 2020 by Gregg Dinino.

On September 26, 2020, storms brought heavy rains to San Juan, a municipality in the Intibuca department of western Honduras. These storms caused massive flooding, resulting in a devastating landslide that damaged critical infrastructures such as roads, buildings, and the municipal water system. In the aftermath of the emergency, 7,000 residents across five communities were left without access to clean, safe water. Heavy rains caused a landslide that damaged roads and water infrastructure. With a permanent office in San Juan, Water Mission was able to quickly mobilize a disaster response effort to immediately provide safe water. Water Mission identified strategic locations around ... Read More

#GlobalHandwashingDay: 750,000+ Provided Access to Clean Water for Handwashing Amid COVID-19

Posted October 14th, 2020 by Acadia Munari.

It’s no secret: The last eight months have been unusual for communities all over the world—navigating a pandemic safely, learning new social norms, and staying healthy and safe. According to UN Water, handwashing with soap is key in slowing the spread of viruses such as COVID-19, and right now, only 60% of the world’s population has access to a basic handwashing facility. Today, on #GlobalHandwashingDay—several months since Water Mission began its global COVID-19 response—our team is overjoyed to share that more than 750,000 people have been given access to handwashing supplies, such as safe water and soap. Around the world, our teams have installed nearly 8,000 handwashing stations in ... Read More

One Year After Hurricane Dorian: Rebuilding Back Better

Posted September 2nd, 2020 by Gregg Dinino.

A year ago, Hurricane Dorian hit, devastating the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. One of the largest Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes on record, its 185 mph sustained winds left more than 70,000 people homeless. In any disaster response, the most common critical needs are food, shelter, and safe water. Without clean, safe water, operations cannot progress. Safe water is needed for everything, from drinking water to use in healthcare. After Dorian, water sources were not safe due to saltwater and other contaminates affecting the municipal water supply during temporary flooding from storm surge. Water Mission’s Hurricane Dorian disaster response and engineering teams were on the ground within hours after the storm subsided, focused on meeting immediate needs and assessing challenges. Our teams worked to stabilize water sources utilizing reverse osmosis, a specialized water purification process that filters out contaminants and makes water safe to drink. After Hurricane ... Read More

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