Qatar Charity constructs solar-powered water station for flood victims in Pakistan

Qatar Charity (QC) has constructed a solar-powered water station in Sahar Chanhiyan, a flood-affected village in Sanghar district of Pakistan’s Sindh province.The project is part of the QC’s ongoing interventions in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in the country to protect the people from the hazards of contaminated water and provide safe and clean drinking water to vulnerable communities.Approximately 1,000 persons directly benefit from this water intervention.Sanghar is one of the most affected areas by the 2022 floods, which affected more than 33mn people in the country, destroyed buildings, infrastructure, and washed away livestock.Sanghar District deputy commissioner Mohamed Ishaq Gad said: "I am thankful to the generous donors of Qatar and Qatar Charity for providing safe drinking water.”"The communities were suffering from water-related diseases and the difficulty of accessing safe and clean drinking water due to the 2022 floods,” said Wajid Ali Memon, additional director of the Social Welfare Department in Sanghar. "I am very thankful to Qatar Charity and the people of Qatar for providing the water facilities, particularly in the badly affected district, Sanghar, which was in dire need of safe drinking water.”Beneficiary Mohamed Sadiq said: "Now I have access to clean water near my home, and I can spend more of my time earning a daily living.”"I lost my house last year in floods and I am living with my family in a temporary shelter,” he said. "The biggest problem we were facing was access to clean drinking water.”"We used to fetch water from two kilometers away, and the water wasn't clean, which caused my children to have diarrhea,” he added.Fozia Bibi said: "Due to the floods, the water in my village became contaminated. I used to carry clean drinking water from a distant area that took hours to reach.”"Now I am very happy that Allah has answered our prayers because Qatar Charity has built a solar water plant, which is a blessing for us,” she said. "Now I can fetch water in minutes and spend more time taking care of my children.”The QC has implemented around 750 water projects, including water stations, hand pumps, and solar-powered pumps, from the beginning of 2023 until June.Approximately 138,750 people in various parts of Pakistan benefit from these projects.