Water and Sanitation Standards in Humanitarian Action

• Main Author: Murat ERSEL
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-10-01
• Series: Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452247316600602

SUMMARY: The right to water and sanitation is an inextricable human right. Water and sanitation are critical determinants for survival in the initial stages of a disaster. An adequate amount of safe water is necessary to prevent death from dehydration, to reduce the risk of water-related disease and to provide for consumption, cooking and personal and domestic hygienic requirements. The main objective of WASH – (Water supply, Sanitation and Hygenie promotion) programmes in disasters is to reduce the transmission of faeco-oral diseases and exposure to disease-bearing vectors through the promotion of: good hygiene practices, the provision of safe drinking water, the reduction of environmental health risks, the conditions that allow people to a healthy life with dignity, comfort and security. Keywords: Water, sanitation, disasters, humanitarian response, hygenie promotion, drainage, vector control, waste disposition