Water is a fundamental human right, yet for millions of people affected by conflicts, natural disasters, and prolonged crises, access to safe water remains a daily challenge. On the occasion of World Water Day, Fabrizio Cavalazzi, Deputy Regional Director for Emergencies at INTERSOS, explains why ensuring access to water is a priority in our humanitarian work on the ground.
Why is access to water so crucial in humanitarian crises?
Water is not just essential for survival – it is a cornerstone of public health. Many do not realise its importance until it becomes scarce. It is not only about having enough water to drink or cook with but also about preventing deadly diseases such as cholera and typhoid, which spread rapidly when water sources are contaminated. This is something we witness daily in our interventions in countries such as Nigeria, Chad, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Yemen, and other crisis-affected areas. Without access to safe water, malnutrition worsens, hygiene conditions deteriorate, and people’s vulnerability increases exponentially. Providing clean water means enabling people to live with dignity and safeguarding their health.
What are the main challenges in ensuring water and sanitation services in crisis settings?
One of the biggest challenges is reaching those in greatest need, as affected communities are often in remote or hard-to-reach areas. In many situations, water sources are distant, insufficient, or contaminated, forcing people to walk long distances every day to collect water. Epidemics are another critical concern: without adequate water supply and sanitation systems, the risk of disease outbreaks is extremely high, particularly in displacement and refugee camps, where poor hygiene conditions exacerbate every risk. INTERSOS works to address these challenges in a practical and effective way by integrating Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) activities into our health and protection programmes. Without clean water and proper sanitation, even the best medical interventions lose their effectiveness.
What role does INTERSOS play in improving access to WASH services?
Our approach is comprehensive. We do not simply distribute water; we work to improve access to sanitation services and promote essential hygiene practices, as safe water alone is not enough. In the primary healthcare centres where we operate, we rehabilitate water infrastructure, install water points, build latrines, and ensure the proper management of biomedical waste. Training is also a crucial component: we support healthcare workers by teaching best practices for water management, disinfection, and hospital hygiene. A healthcare centre that does not meet these standards can become a source of infections rather than a place of healing. During epidemics, we set up specialised treatment centres for waterborne diseases and distribute hygiene kits, ensuring that the most vulnerable – especially women and children – can maintain dignified living conditions even in times of crisis.
How is climate change worsening the water crisis?
Climate change is making everything more difficult. We work in regions where water is already scarce, and now it is becoming even more so. In Chad, for example, entire communities rely on Lake Chad – a water basin that has lost 90% of its surface area since the 1960s – and struggle daily to secure clean water for livestock, crops, and basic needs like drinking, cooking, and washing. Droughts are drying up wells and rivers, while increasingly frequent floods contaminate water sources, leading to disease outbreaks. We see firsthand how these changes are directly impacting people’s lives: communities that once managed their water resources independently are now left without safe drinking water and are entirely dependent on humanitarian aid. This means we must continuously adapt our approach, integrating WASH activities into our health and protection projects in an even more structured way and ensuring rapid responses to water-related crises exacerbated by climate change. It is an immense challenge, as the need for resources and interventions is constantly growing.
What is the tangible impact of WASH interventions on communities?
The impact is immediate and visible. When we ensure access to clean water and adequate sanitation, people’s health improves rapidly. In the health centres we support, the risk of infections drops significantly, and medical staff can work in safer conditions. But the biggest change happens in everyday life: a family with access to a safe water source no longer has to fear that their children might get sick simply from drinking or washing. Hygiene awareness campaigns help communities adopt safer habits that last, protecting them even after the emergency response ends. Access to water is not just about infrastructure – it is a fundamental human right that allows people to build a safer, healthier future.