By the end of September, fourteen people had been killed by the cholera outbreak quickly spreading across Iraq. In little over a month, the disease had been confirmed in almost 3,000 victims, with another 30,000 suffering from symptoms.

Serious shortage of safe drinking water in Iraq poses serious threats to the health and well being of the people of Iraq. It is estimated that 70% of the population has no access to drinkable water and 80% lack access to effective sanitation, making it no surprise that diarrhea is the second highest cause of child illness and death in Iraq.

The water and sanitation activities of the Iraqi Red Crescent focus on the needs of Internally Displaced People and on promoting public awareness on related concerns. The Iraqi Red Crescent provides water tanks to the Internally Displaced People camps and fills them daily with safe drinking water. Whenever needed, Red Crescent volunteers dig wells to access underground water, and carry out purity testing to ensure the safety of drinking water. In many situations, the Iraq Red Crescent coordinates with local authorities to connect the Internally Displaced People camps to the local water and sewage drainage networks.

The Iraqi Red Crescent also installs mobile toilets and bathrooms in the Internally Displaced People camps and ensures that wastewater is properly drained and disposed in order to avoid health hazards and environmental pollution.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supports the Iraqi Red Crescent activities in this field by providing water tankers and helping establish water pipelines to Internally Displaced People camps.

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