The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is helping make fresh water a reality again for victims of last October’s catastrophic earthquake. The quake smashed water pipes and irrigation systems leaving many communities with no drinkable water and destroyed sanitation facilities. The PRCS, working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is running water and sanitation units in several affected areas. The water and sanitation emergency response unit in Balakot, provided by the Swedish and Austrian Red Cross societies, is now providing drinkable water for 15,000 people a day. The unit, with the help of generous funding from the humanitarian aid department of the European Commission (ECHO) of approximatelyy Rs. 2.9 crore, is pumping out 210,000 litres of purified water a day. A team of PRCS staff and volunteers help run the unit with Swedish Red Cross personnel have been working in Balakot for almost six months now. The unit is about more than just providing drinking water. The team has constructed 264 latrines and 29 bathing facilities. In addition 7400 hygiene kits have been distributed to families, assisting a total of 37,000 people. The hygiene packs contain basic necessities such as soap and shampoo. The ongoing activities of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and its various partners in the area of water and sanitation are vital to assisting the recovery of communities affected by the quake. Young children are particularly susceptible to water-related health problems. Improving household-level water collection and storage, solid waste management, latrines and hygiene awareness is a priority of the PRCS to reduce risk of epidemics. .