Dubai: The UAE Water Aid project has now collected Dh78.45 million in donations in its fourth day.
The donations will help provide clean water to 3.06 million people in developing countries.
The project has now dug 3,058 wells in areas that are in desperate need for water. The current number of people that have access to clean water indicates that the campaign has achieved 61 per cent of its target. The UAE Water Aid project, which aims to provide clean drinking water to five million people in 60 countries, was launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Saturday.
Donations on the fourth day were received from various organisations. Dubai Municipality donated Dh3 million, which will help provide clean drinking water to 120,000 people. Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority and Dubai Airport Freezone Authority donated Dh2 million each, which will help provide clean drinking water to 160,000 people. Separate donations of Dh1 million each from Imdaad and the Community Development Authority will provide drinking water to 80,000 people.
The project was launched after Shaikh Mohammad realised that the scarcity of clean drinking water affects more than 880 million people around the world.
Statistics provided by international organisations indicate that a child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related disease, and that 9,863 people die on a daily basis due to thirst or water-related diseases.
Since its launch on Saturday, the UAE Water Aid project has garnered a positive response from both individuals and institutions, further reaffirming the UAE’s charitable nature and its wise leadership as a unique model for humanitarian activities and giving.
