Provide clean water and humanitarian aid to Yemen

                          *****    AQUABOX  -  Gift of Life   *****

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Report #10 - Table of Contents.

       1. General Comments.

       2. SIXTH Aquabox shipment delivered to YEMEN and distributed.

       3. SEVENTH Aquabox consignment scheduled for shipment

           to YEMEN in March 2022.

       4. Total shipments to YEMEN to date.

       Other Aquabox news.

       5. Planned Shipments to Tonga and the Philippines.

       6. Potential Shipments to Afghanistan

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 1.  General Comments.

Many thanks to donors for the funds already accumulated, which are received from GlobalGiving monthly and transferred to Aquabox in full within two working days.

This includes non-targeted donations which are thankfully allocated to this project by GlobalGiving. The crisis in Yemen continues and your donations have been and continue to be much needed. Apart from one part time administrator Aquabox is staffed entirely by volunteers.

 This project raises funds specifically for the benefit of the needy in Yemen.

Although the crisis continues, it is important to note that the funds already raised by GlobalGiving have made a huge difference to the lives of many of those caught up in this dreadful conflict.

Aquabox gets no government funding and relies entirely on donations for its life-saving work. Each Aquabox family filter costs less than £30 to assemble and has the potential to process up to half a million litres of contaminated water over its lifespan so every £10 donation could pay for more than 170,000 litres of clean, safe water.

Innovative AquaFilter technology produces safe and clean drinking water instantly and reliably without the need for chemicals. The AquaFilter Family and Community units are based on sub-micron filters which are impenetrable to bacteria and most viruses. The AquaFilter uses an ultra-filtration system which is capable of removing all waterborne pathogens.

Whenever a disaster strikes, whether it is natural or man-made, there is always an urgent need to provide safe drinking water to those affected. Water supplies are typically severely affected in the aftermath of a disaster. Water pipes may be destroyed, or the water supply will be contaminated with water from sewage and drains.

   2.  SIXTH Aquabox shipment delivered to Yemen and distributed.

The shipment was reported in the previous Report#9. This update just adds to the notes below the completion of delivery.

On a daily basis many of the people of Yemen face terrible uncertainty about their health and security. Sadly, this situation does not reach the headlines often, but it still represents one of the worst humanitarian aid crises the world has ever seen.

Over the past 2 to 3 years Aquabox is proud to have been able to work with its partner, JOY (Jubilee Outreach Yorkshire), to fill six container shipments of aid. Each shipment we have sent has provided much needed water filters and general aid items.

Aquabox sent its sixth shipment to Yemen, leaving the depot on 8 September. In partnership with JOY another 40-foot container has been filled with aid.

The Aquabox part of the shipment was a further 200 gold boxes, each of which contains a family water filter and various humanitarian aid items. Aquabox are proud to continue to send support to such a challenging destination and are most grateful to the agencies on the ground who ensure the proper distribution of the aid.

Cost to Aquabox of sixth shipment to Yemen (excluding delivery):

    200 gold boxes @ £150 per box = £ 30,000, with each box including a family filter.

200 Family Filters will provide 1 million litres of clean drinking water over the working life of the filters. For further information refer to the section 7 on diseases protected by the water filter. filter. The filters in this shipment will support over 1000 people.

 3.  SEVENTH Aquabox consignment scheduled for shipment to Yemen in March 2022.

The planning of this shipment was reported in the previous Report#9. The shipment is now being prepared and scheduled to leave the Aquabox depot in March 2022, subject to final arrangements by the Aquabox shipping controller. Once again the shipment container and costs will be shared with JOY (Jubilee Outreach Yorkshire) who provide medical materials and equipment, plus educational materials for children.

Following the relaxation of rules in the government’s Covid Guidance, the full production assembly of Aquabox started some two weeks ago, and the packing of Gold Boxes for Yemen started on 7 February. The plan is to send 250 Gold Boxes. These will be the full humanitarian aid boxes which, in addition to a Family Filter, will also contain items to build shelters, hygiene items, cooking equipment and survival equipment. 

The Family Filters will provide safe drinking water for 1500 people. 

If there is room in the in the container, it is planned to include some Community Filters. They are designed for field hospitals, schools, or community centres by providing clean water at a faster output rate, and each can provide sufficient clean water for 500 people. 

Cost to Aquabox of seventh shipment to Yemen (excluding delivery):

    250 gold boxes @ £150 per box = £ 37,500, with each box including a Family Filter.

   2 Community Filters @ £250 per unit = £500.

 4.  Total shipments to Yemen to date.

2022 to date – 250 Gold Boxes being prepared

2022 to date –    2 Community Filters scheduled depending on container space.

2021 - 400 Gold Boxes

2020 - 500 Gold Boxes

2020 - 5 Community Filters

2020 - 120 Family Filters

2019 - 270 Gold Boxes

2018 - 60 Gold Boxes (trial shipment)

Each of the 1480 Gold Boxes contains a Family Filter.

The total of 1600 Family Filters and 7 Community Filters delivered to Yemen can produce over 800 million litres of clean drinking water over the working lives of the filters.

Other Aquabox news.

This project raises funds specifically for the benefit of the needy in Yemen. In addition to Yemen, Aquabox has the following plans for shipment of aid packages.

 5.  Planned shipments to Tonga & the Philippines.

Aquabox is currently working with its partners on the feasibility of establishing safe and secure distribution routes to both disaster areas. We are planning to ship a combination of Family Filters and Community Filters. The filters will enable more than 16,000 people (8,000 in each area) to have clean, safe water for drinking, cooking and washing, but with airfreight costs the shipment will cost the charity £30,000.

6.  Potential shipments to Afghanistan.

Through their partner links with FireAid, Aquabox are in discussions with AFSA (Asian Fire Service Association), who have their major depot in Lahore, Pakistan, with a view to providing Aquaboxes into the Afghan displaced persons camps in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan. These discussions are at an early stage, but it is hoped to build a clearer plan in the next few weeks.

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