Campaigns

In June WaterAid handed the UK Government over 18,000 messages on toilet rolls calling for more and better aid for water and sanitation.

Credit: WaterAid / Steve Bainbridge

WaterAid has joined forces with Tearfund to call for more and better aid for water and sanitation for the world's poorest people. We're asking you, our supporters, to write a letter to the UK Government demanding they help make poverty history.

Writing a letter won't take long and could have an impact on government policies that will change the lives of millions of people living without access to water and sanitation.

The UK has taken over from Luxembourg as President of the European Union. As the presidency is the driving force in the legislative and political decision making processes of the EU, with effective campaigning in the UK there could be major improvements in European aid (which accounts for 60% of all aid).

More aid

In May the Luxembourg presidency ensured that all 25 member states committed to spending 0.51% of their national income on aid by 2010. This commitment, which was reconfirmed at the G8 summit, was good progress but still short of the UN target, agreed in 1970, that 0.7% of income should go to aid. Only Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark and Sweden have reached that target. We are therefore asking the
UK Government to increase its own aid to 0.7% of national income by 2010.

The UK has already agreed to double its aid for water in Africa. However, this leaves out sanitation and the rest of the developing world. Overall UK aid for water and sanitation needs to double and the UK should use its presidency to push the rest of the EU to do the same.

Better aid

We want aid to be spent better. This means it should be focussed on the poorest countries. While the EU has increased the share of its aid going to the poorest countries from 51% in 2002 to 56% in 2003, the remaining 44% still goes to richer, middle income countries where only 30% of the world's poorest people live.
The EU should allocate 70% of aid to the poorest countries.

Aid spending should also be more coordinated. Rather than all countries placing administrative demands on developing countries one donor should take the lead in each country to coordinate efforts.

Please write a letter today calling on the UK Government to use its power while President of the EU to make sure there is more and better EU aid. Send your letter to the Secretary of State for International Development at 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE. Please send us a copy of any response.

LETTER WRITING TIPS

• Individual letters have more impact - personalise it!
• Include your address so you get a reply
• Keep your letter short and to the point
• Explain it is part of Make Poverty History
• Use your own words!

FACTS YOU COULD INCLUDE

• 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water
• 2.6 billion people do not have access to a toilet
• UK aid must increase to 0.7% of income by 2010
• UK and EU aid for water and sanitation must double
• 70% of EU water and sanitation aid should be spent on the poorest countries
• EU member states must agree a lead donor in each country to coordinate aid for water and sanitation

CAMPAIGN GROUPS

If you want to do more, why not join one of WaterAid's regional campaign groups in York, Bristol, Glasgow or Edinburgh? Please contact Jennean to find out more. Call 020 7793 4523 or email jenneanalkadiri@wateraid.org

By Sally Warren, WaterAid's Campaigns Coordinator.