Polish aid

A project by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Jordan aligns with this year’s World Water Day theme, “Where water flows, equality grows,” which highlights that lack of access to water disproportionately affects women and girls. As part of the project titled “Second Life of Water,” rainwater harvesting systems have been installed at the Khalda Secondary School for Girls in Amman. This has had a positive impact on the lives of 1,400 girls attending the school, nearly half of whom are Syrian refugees living in Jordan.

In Syria, with using funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Polish Humanitarian Action has delivered clean water by tanker trucks to over 20,000 internally displaced persons living in refugee camps—individuals who lost their homes as a result of military operations in the Aleppo and Idlib province.

Clean water is needed not only to quench thirst but also to ensure safe medical care. Therefore, the Armed Forces Operational Command, through the Polish Military Contingent (PKW) in Lebanon, has purchased a water filter for the Bint Jbeil Governmental Hospital as part of a Polish Aid project. This enabled the hospital to access safe water needed for preparing medicines, dialysis procedures, laboratory work, and equipment sterilization. This is has not been the only water-related project carried out by the PKW in Lebanon. The Polish Military Contingent has also provided access to water for 4,000 residents of the village of At Tiri by constructing a drinking water reservoir and developing a water supply network delivering water directly to homes.

Also in Lebanon, the Polish Center for International Aid has continued a project under which solar installations have been set up to power energy systems and a water pumping station in the towns of Bourj el-Barajneh and Ayn Yaacoub. This system benefits around one million people, including residents of a Palestinian refugee camp. In Kobayat, the sewage system was developed, enabling wastewater to be safely removed from homes and protecting local water sources, farmland, and forests from contamination. Improvements in sanitation infrastructure have reduced public health risks and helped ease tensions between communities.

Another way of securing safe access to water—this time in a humid climate—is through so-called “fog catchers”. The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Lima has financed the purchase and installation of systems that collect water using fog catchers, as well as systems for its purification and storage, at the PROFAM complex in the Santa Rosa district. As a result, 500 children and their families have gained access to clean water.

For years, Polish Aid has financed projects that enable access to clean and safe water. More information about previous activities in this area can be found here.