For the second year running, Metito will support Human Appeal International (HAI) with efforts to provide water relief to communities across Africa.
In an effort to secure clean drinking water to as many people as possible; Metito will once again join forces with UAE-based HAI in an effort to improve living conditions of multiple African villages in Senegal, Somalia and Sudan. These efforts include drilling wells to secure clean and uncontaminated drinking water to over 6,000 people. HAI is an NGO established in 1984, which has been striving to support long-term economic and social development in deprived areas with a wide range of relief projects.
More than one billion people across the globe do not have access to drinking water and the problem is getting worse as cities and populations grow. According to HAI, more than five million people worldwide die every year from drinking polluted water.
HAI and Metito have been responsible for drilling wells since 2008, with three wells completed last year in Senegal and two in Nigeria. This year five more will be completed with efforts focused in Senegal, Somalia and Sudan.
Darfur is of particular need of assistance, as it is one of the poorest areas of Sudan and a lack of rain and food shortages have made living conditions worse this year for the estimated 4.7 million refugees dispersed through conflict still relying on humanitarian aid.
“We are delighted to continue our support of HAI for this life-saving initiative,” said Fady Juez, Managing Director at Metito Overseas Ltd. “We have a corporate social responsibility to assist some of the world’s poorest people by providing access to clean drinking water – a basic necessity that most of us take for granted on a daily basis. So many people around the world are at risk from water related diseases highlighting the health consequences of water scarcity, and its impact on international development. Metito urges everyone to be part of efforts to conserve and protect this valuable resource.”
Abdullah Al Awadi, Deputy Secretary of the Human Appeal International adds, “We must continue to prioritize water-related projects in the countries we work in. We are very proud of the work achieved so far through our cooperation with Metito and look forward to collaboration on future projects.”
The Millenium Declaration adopted by the UN in 2000, calls on member states to make a commitment to halve the number of people without access to drinking water by 2015 and is complimented by the UN’s Global Compact initiative, which tasks affiliated companies, including Metito, to be corporately responsible in their operations and strategies.
“Through our continued collaboration with HAI, we aim to contribute to the UN Global Compact policy and strengthen our commitment to benefiting vulnerable societies and reducing the number of people without access to clean water.” Fady Juez commented.
The wells in Senegal, Somalia and Sudan will be built in farming villages across the country and most of these villages consist of women who travel for many kilometers daily to get drinking water. Wells have already been built in the villages of Ambidab, Ambaki Salom and Ambokhom in Dakar, Senegal, and are already improving the lives of nearly 6,000 villagers.
