Food & Water Watch Calls on Obama Administration to Defend Human Right to Water

Food & Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group based in
Washington, D.C., today called on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton and the Obama Administration to recognize water as a human
right and to assert new leadership in global water policy. U.S.
representatives recently played a key role in removing language from
the 5th World Water Forum ministerial declaration that supported the
human right to water.

"The Obama Administration has a prime opportunity to assert new
leadership in global water policy and to distinguish itself from the
pro-privatization policies of the Bush Administration," said Wenonah
Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. "Human beings
have the right to an adequate standard of living for themselves and
their families, including sufficient food, clothing, housing, water and
sanitation. It is time to declare water as a human right and a public
good."

Around the world, access to safe and clean water is a major public health concern:

• 1.4 billion people live without clean drinking water.
• Two-fifths of the world's population lack access to proper sanitation.
• Every eight seconds, a child dies from drinking dirty water.
• Half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by people with an easily preventable waterborne disease.
• 80 percent of all sickness and disease worldwide is related to contaminated water, according to the World Health Organization.
• Dirty water kills more children than war, malaria, HIV/AIDS and traffic accidents combined.

Food & Water Watch has joined global allies to protest the fifth
World Water Forum that's currently taking place in Istanbul, Turkey. As
part of an international coalition, Food & Water Watch is
protesting the World Water Forum's stance on water privatization, and
hosting counter events to highlight ways in which governments, public
utilities and communities have promoted the right to water through the
democratization of resources.