World Water Day: Joint Statement by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius

In the city of Mariupol, the Russian armed forces have deliberately cut off the population’s access to safe water, using the threat of dehydration to force the surrender of their city and denying access to the most basic needs.

Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine shows how crucial it is to contain the environmental impacts of conflict and to prevent the appropriation and overexploitation of water resources.

As good quality water becomes scarce, the lack of wastewater treatment and the increasing number of shelling and bombing of civilian infrastructure, such as attacks on chemical industries, create additional risks and further exacerbate the quality of freshwater.

Every drop counts. Clean drinking water and sanitation are essential human rights.

We urgently call on Russia to respect humanitarian corridors and allow for the evacuation of the civilian population to other parts of Ukraine. We call on Russia to urgently allow full and unhindered humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.

We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its military actions, unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders.

Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. Water should never be used as a weapon of war – in Ukraine or anywhere else. In the world today, 2.2 billion people are still deprived of access to safe drinking water.