In the corner of North Africa, in the arid lands of Western Sahara, live thousands of thirsty Sahrawi refugees. Hundreds of families live here - either families hiding from the conflict, or the families of those who have gone to war. But, what conflict is so great that it has caused thousands of people to suffer?
A struggle for control is what had caused these innocent people to suffer. A struggle for control between Morocco and a Sahrawi tribal group. The people living in these refugee camps consider it their home now. A home without what they need the most - access to clean water. Because people do not have access to clean drinking water, high death rates are relevant in the area. Why do people not have access to clean water, when we get it so easily, and how do people survive without it? Watch this short video, and realise just how lucky you really are.
In order to somehow survive, these refugees struggle to find whatever water they can, to keep them alive. The only water available to them is usually contaminated water from rivers, and drinking this water leads to the spread of disease in the refugee camps. Waterborne diseases, such as cholera, spread easily in Western Sahara due to the fact that many people, like these refugees, have no access to clean water - which leads to high death rates.
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There are many reasons as to why these refugees do not have access to clean water, yet we do.
There is not much water in the area, as most of Western Sahara is dry land - a desert. People trek for miles to look for water, either from a well, which is not the most reliable source of water and can often go dry, or either from a river or stream. Why must people do so much just to get what they should have in the first place? All we have to do is open a tap, while many people go days without it. Our lives revolve around how easily we get clean, safe water, yet, we waste that gift - we take it for granted.
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This doesn't mean that people living in the cities of Western Sahara do not have clean water. They get their water as easily as we do. Then why do these refugees have to suffer so much? It is all about money. People living in cities can afford to pay the taxes and rates companies/government may demand for access to safe and clean drinking water, but these refugees do not have money to get that privilege. Clean water is a necessity for everyone, yet some people have made it into a commodity.