Arsenic contamination in tube-well water has plagued Bangladesh over the last 10 to 12 years. Anywhere between 35 and 75 million people drink arsenic contaminated water, leading to a high rate of skin disorders, cancer and death among the affected population.

Islamic Relief is addressing this problem by installing deep tube wells which will wells provide safe drinking water in 22 districts. Sanitary latrines are also installed in rural areas.

IR aid workers also hold meetings with community members to raise awareness about the problems of arsenic poisoning.  

Arsenic contamination has been described as Bangladesh's silent disaster. It was first detected in 1993, and subsequent confirmations of high levels of arsenic in numerous wells around the country have raised serious health concerns.

Statistics available on the arsenic contamination indicate that 59 districts, or around 85% of the total area of Bangladesh, are contaminated, leaving about 75 million people at risk of arsenic poisoning. It is estimated that at least 1.2 million people have been exposed to arsenic.

Lack of sanitation  is another problem faced by millions of people in Bangladesh where almost half the population have no access to latrines.

Project Objectives

• Providing safe water by installing deep tube wells and dug-wells;
• Installing hygienic latrines;
• Promoting the safe use of surface water and rainwater;
• Increase awareness of the dangers of arsenic contamination.

Project Activities

Tube well installations:

• Installing tube wells;
• Establishing tube well maintenance teams from the community;
• Identifying alternative and safe sources of water;
• Training volunteers on water preservation and the use of alternative sources of water;
• Providing awareness to well users on economic use of water.

Latrines installations:

• Training community volunteers in the latrine construction;
• Installing latrines;
• Promoting good hygienic practices;

Basic Awareness training:

• Raising awareness about the dangers of arsenic;
• Training and developing community volunteers.

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/