Key messages
Providing access to clean water in sufficient quantities is essential to sustain life and promote health in emergency and crisis situations. Basic sanitation and appropriate hygiene behavior and management are essential conditions to create a safe living environment.
The European Commission is one of the largest humanitarian donors in providing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance with almost €120 million alone allocated in 2015 to projects in this sector.
The Commission increasingly supports projects which incorporates WASH components within other sectors, such as nutrition or shelter, in order to increase effectiveness.
Climate change, urbanisation and rapid population growth put pressure on natural resources. Needs in the field of WASH are growing much more rapidly than available funding. To meet these challenges, the Commission promotes best practices.
Speed of response, coordination and working with civil protection actors are priorities for the Commission's WASH operations.