Every drop of water is a blessing. Yet 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water (UNICEF/WHO, 2023). Contaminated water causes around 485,000 diarrhoeal deaths annually (WHO, 2022), while poor water, sanitation, and hygiene lead to 829,000 deaths—more than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined (WHO, 2022). Women and girls spend over 200 million hours every day walking long distances to collect often unsafe water (UNICEF, 2021).

The Ali Asghar Water Appeal (AAWA) is a call to action—rooted in the legacy of Karbala and the thirst of Ali Asghar (AS). This annual campaign runs through Muharram and Safar, aiming to provide clean drinking water and WASH facilities to some of the world’s most water-insecure regions. From remote African villages to urban areas in South Asia, WF-AID’s aim is simple: quench thirst and save lives.—

Between June 2024 to May 2025, your generosity helped deliver 20 major water projects, totalling 72 individual units, and reaching 109,866 individuals. With £179,944 spent on these projects, we installed deep wells, shallow wells, boreholes, filtration systems, water tanks, and hygiene facilities—turning dry lands into flowing lifelines.

In addition, 171 regular wells were completed across Pakistan, India, Tanzania, and Kenya—including 120 shallow wells, 30 deep wells, and 21 community wells (previously known as rural wells). These were implemented at a combined cost of £58,822, delivering large-scale change across entire communities and reaching 13,800 individuals.

Make water their right, not a privilege

Regular Wells Project

Alongside this urgent response, WF-AID’s Regular Wells project continues year-round under the

Ali Asghar Water Appeal (AAWA) umbrella, bringing consistent relief to underserved regions across Africa and Asia. Through the installation of shallow wells, deep wells, and community wells (previously known as rural wells in Tanzania and Kenya), we are able to deliver sustainable water access where it’s needed most

*Community Wells were previously referred to as "rural wells" in our Tanzania and Kenya Projects.