Friends of the Holy Land launches World Water Week Appeal

Source: Friends of the Holy Land

People living in the West Bank, are facing a severe shortage of water.

"As you enter through the crossing into Bethlehem, one immediate feature that strikes you is that all the houses have water tanks on their roofs" says Brendan Metcalfe, CEO of Friends of the Holy Land, who was recently at the Greenbelt Festival.

"Despite the fact that Bethlehem sits on one of the largest aquifers in the area, on my last visit to Bethlehem in May, most families were receiving a mains water supply only two days a month," he said.

To help the most vulnerable families cope with this situation across the West Bank, Friends of the Holy Land engage in work with Christian professionals to provide a solution that they cannot afford.

We have recently completed a project in the Bethlehem area replacing old, rusty, unhygienic water tanks with new tanks large enough to hold a month's supply and solar- powered equipment to heat and pump the water around the home for 48 families. A waiting list of more vulnerable families with the same problem is building. In Zababdeh, in the north we are halfway through a similar project. The average cost of an installation is £1,000.

As well as improving the hygiene and health of the vulnerable families whose homes are improved by installing water tank packages, these projects also provide much needed work to the equipment suppliers, site managers and contractors who are completing the wells and installations. In this ongoing war, these Christian businesses have been devastated as construction activity has stalled due to the uncertainty and lack of income experienced by all.

To learn more and support these works visit: https://bit.ly/4ctHqbO

FHL is a small ecumenical Christian Charity (registered charity in England and Wales 1202568) working from an office in Kenilworth, but with groups and supporters across England and Scotland. Patrons include the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham Bernard Longley and Dr Rowan Williams.

World Water Week has been organized every year since 1991 and is centred on water cooperation, for peace and security in its broadest sense. This year, 25 - 29 August 2024 the theme, Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future, asks us to recognize the regional and global interconnectivity of communities and nations, and underscores the collaborative effort needed to achieve a peaceful and sustainable future.