Thousands of campaigners from 70 countries, on Monday, stood in long queues, urging governments to tackle the global sanitation crisis. The global campaign was organised by the End Water Poverty, Freshwater Action Network (FAN) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) as part of activities to mark the 2010 World Water Day.   

A statement by WSSCC in Geneva said the campaigners stood in solidarity with the 2.6 billion people worldwide who lacked access to safe and dignified toilets. 

According to the statement, more than 4, 000 children die every day from sanitation-related diseases. 

“Twenty thousand  campaigners took action in Nepal while 1, 500 queued in Bhopal; in Berlin hundreds queued outside the Brandenburg Gate while in Paris, campaigners waited their turn in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

“ In Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa, thousands of people queued to demand clean and safe toilets,’’ it said. 

The statement also quoted  Steve Cockburn, Coordinator of End Water Poverty, as saying: 

 “It’s exciting that so many people, in so many countries are coming together to stand in solidarity with those lacking access to their most basic rights – a safe toilet and clean water. 

 “ Together, we can work to ensure that no child need die because of preventable illnesses like diarrhea, and no girl need miss school because they have to fetch water. 

“ It will require strong action from our political leaders and it’s time they stood tall,’’ he said. 

The statement also quoted Saskia Castelein Programme Officer of WSSCC as saying: “We must speak out about sanitation using plain language that everybody can understand. 

“We have the technologies, the approaches and the people to improve the world’s sanitation, and we can do it using campaigns like the World’s Longest Toilet Queue to spread the message of Sanitation for all.” 

The statement said the campaign was aimed at putting pressure on governments taking part in the first ever ‘High-Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water’ in Washington DC next month to tackle the sanitation and water crisis. 

“Lack of access to clean water and basic sanitation affects more than 2.6 billion people and kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined.