Missions group: Global water crisis getting worse than pandemic

With numerous major cities around the world on the verge of "running out of drinking water," the U.S. is by no means excluded from this crisis, as the report notes that 30 million Americans suffer from unsafe drinking water.

A global concern

GFA World founder K.P. Yohannan warns that global forecasts point to safe drinking water – combining with poverty and hunger – is likely to take a far greater toll on the world than what has been experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Two-thirds of the world's people could face water shortages by 2025," Yohannan warned in a press release. "It's been described as 'the biggest crisis no one is talking about.'"

In its report, "Water Stress: The Unspoken Global Crisis," GFA drew attention to the rising global threat on the annual awareness event, World Water Day, and the faith-based group stresses how this is not just a problem for those living in rural areas or in Third World nations.

GFA cited a BBC News report alerting the world that within a few years, megacities across the world could run out of water, including London, Cairo, Beijing, Mexico City, São Paulo and Cape Town. Further research reveals that unclean drinking water is a problem for numerous nations around the globe.

"Global agencies UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) place Mexico and nine African and Asian countries in the 'Top 10' nations with the 'worst drinking water,' and note that in the African country of Uganda, 40% of the population has to trek 30 minutes or more to find safe drinking water," GFA reports.

The Christian missions organization also notes that a quarter of the world's population currently drinks from sources of water polluted with human waste.

"Around the world, some 785 million people – more than double the U.S. population – don't have basic water service …" the Texas-based evangelical group outlines in its report. "A staggering two billion people – mostly in Africa and Asia – get their drinking water from feces-contaminated ponds and watering holes, leading to often-fatal diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and dysentery."

Every drop counts ...

As a dynamic part of its mission to spread the gospel, GFA has made providing clean water to those in need a major priority in its ministry.

"GFA World drills about 4,000 new community wells – called 'Jesus Wells' – every year, providing safe drinking water for entire villages," GFA notes. "Over the past two decades, the organization has drilled more than 30,000 wells and distributed more than 58,000 home kits – called BioSand filters – that remove 98% of water impurities."

In addition to sharing the living water of God's Word that brings salvation and eternal life, Yohannan notes that the humanitarian focus of his group revolves around the provision of healthy water.

"Our goal is to bring people life-giving clean water, and also to show people that we care about their most vital needs, such as water, because God loves them and values them," Yohannan states.

In addition to 30 million in the U.S. without safe drinking water, it was also noted that two million Americans lack access to running water, while various states have recently reported dire conditions about their water supplies.

"School officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania announced last year they had found legionella – the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires' disease – in their local water supplies," GFA recounts. "Some Texas residents were scooping water out of swimming pools after their taps ran dry following the state's recent 'Big Freeze.'"