Dubai: Emirates Red Crescent has completed work on 177 wells in five Asian and African countries as part of the UAE Water Aid project launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The wells will be able to provide clean drinking water to 267,960 people in Afghanistan, Tanzania, India, Ghana and Iraq. Drilling work on the wells was completed in 10 to 15 days.
Operations began first in Afghanistan, where a total of 73 wells were dug, benefiting 15,960 people in various areas that suffer from a lack of water. The wells have been dug in a number of villages far from major cities, such as in Jowzjan Province, where eight wells were dug.
The ERC built 50 wells in Ghana, benefiting 50,000 people, 30 wells in India that will benefit 12,000 people, and 20 wells in Tanzania to meet the needs of 40,000 people were built.
The ERC also completed work on four artesian wells in Arbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, providing clean water to 150,000 people. The wells pump water into main tanks that have a capacity of 120 cubic metres that will help serve the community.
The project was launched with the objective of providing clean drinking water to five million people in countries that suffer from a lack of water.
The specialised committee tasked with following up on the implementation of the project continues to conduct meetings to discuss updates concerning the project and to make decisions to expand the campaign’s reach and increase the number of countries that will benefit.
Dr Mohammad Atiq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the ERC, said that the authority is undertaking all steps and procedures to achieve its objective of digging wells, the purification of drinking water and providing water storage tanks. He added that the authority is working with its cadres and humanitarian partners abroad to ensure the project’s success. He said the campaign will yield clear and tangible results, especially in improving water supply in areas suffering from drought, particularly in Asia and Africa.