the human right to water and sanitation in emergency situations

- Part 2 - Definition of the right to water and sanitation in emergency situations
CHApTER 12 - OpERATIONAl GUIDElINES ApplYING IN EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS AND THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION
This section summarizes the recognition of the right to water and sanitation in existing operational guidelines
that are applicable in emergency situations and identifies suggested operational approaches
that would promote the respect and implementation of this right in emergencies.
12.1. Key message
The Sphere Standards (2004), and the Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters
(IASC, 2006) are guidelines produced by and for humanitarian agencies managing emergency situations,
whether natural disasters or armed conflict. Taken together, they represent consensus across a broad
spectrum and reflect a continuing determination to ensure that human rights are realized in practice in
every kind of emergency.
These texts do not focus on the rights of persons as enshrined in international law, but instead concentrate
upon what humanitarian actors should do in order to implement a rights-based approach to humanitarian
action in the context of an emergency situation. Indeed, whilst States are directly responsible for respecting,
protecting and fulfilling the human rights of their citizens and other persons on their territory or within
their jurisdiction, actors other than States also have responsibilities and duties when relevant authorities
are unable or unwilling to fulfil their obligations. Moreover, values enshrined in human rights, humanitarian
law and refugee law underpin all humanitarian action, even if this fact tends all too often to be forgotten.
These two guidelines recognize the right to water and sanitation and propose a number of ways to implement
it.
12.2. How is the human right to water included in the Sphere Standards?
c Readers familiar with the Sphere standards can go directly to the section dedicated to
the human right to water and sanitation in the Sphere context (see section 12.2.3).
12.2.1. What is Sphere?
The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement and has had important repercussions on the practice of emergency relief in a wide
variety of disaster settings. It also contributes to shaping an operational framework for accountability in
disaster assistance efforts 94 . This process led to the publication of the Sphere Handbook 95 . This is the
framework within which the Humanitarian Charter and the Minimum Standards to Disaster Response are
set out in each of four key sectors: water supply and sanitation; food security, nutrition and food aid; shelter,
settlement and non food items; and health services. This handbook is an amalgamation of approved
94/ To date, over 400 organizations in 80 countries worldwide have contributed to the development of the Minimum Standards
and Key Indicators.
95/ First Sphere Handbook published in 2000, reviewed and re-edited in 2004.
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