Etihad to build wells in three African countries to help address clean water shortage

Construction work on water wells in Nigeria, Mauritania and Sierra Leone will begin by the end of this year

Containers being filled with water in Yemen. Some 70 per cent of the Mena region's GDP is exposed to high or very high water stress, according to the World Resource Institute . EPA

Etihad Aviation Group is funding the construction of 30 water wells in three African nations as part of efforts to ease a critical shortage of clean water in the continent’s remote communities.

The construction work on wells in select locations in Nigeria, Mauritania and Sierra Leone will begin by the end of this year as part of Etihad’s commitment to humanitarian aid, the company said in a statement, without specifying the cost of the projects.

The project was announced on Sunday by Etihad Aviation Group chief executive Tony Douglas in support of the ‘Well of Hope’ water security initiative launched during Ramadan by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Etihad is “committed to supporting or initiating campaigns for the betterment of communities in need, and water security is a critical issue”, said Mr Douglas. “This initiative reflects our recognition of this crisis, and our commitment to contribute in a small way to a practical solution.”

Globally, more than 844 million people lack access to clean drinking water, equivalent to one in every 10 on the planet. Each day, more than 800 children under the age of five die due to consumption of contaminated water or exposure to poor health conditions, the company statement noted.

Last week, hundreds of Etihad employees pumped 20,595 litres of water through a virtual pumping device as part of the ‘Well of Hope’ initiative, which has committed to match the virtual water volumes achieved by 20 private or public organisations in the UAE with an equivalent amount of clean water for needy remote communities.