[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 110 (Tuesday, July 15, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H6225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1215
INDIA'S SANITATION CRISIS
(Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute.)
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, recent news has been filled with
stories about the impact of India's sanitation crisis, like the NPR
story about the horrific murder and rape of two young girls that could
have been prevented if they didn't need to sneak out into the night to
relieve themselves, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Today, The New York Times has a heartbreaking piece directly linking
the root cause of India's malnutrition crisis to the lack of adequate
sanitation.
Many of the 162 million children under the age of five who are
malnourished are suffering less from a lack of enough food and more
from poor sanitation, and sadly, even those children who are lucky
enough to survive are left with mental and physical deficits that will
haunt them their entire lives.
This crisis that leaves women vulnerable, needlessly ends lives
early, and undermines economic growth has solutions. I would strongly
urge my colleagues to join me and Judge Poe in sponsoring the Water for
the World Act to make American efforts more effective, preventing the
needless loss of a child's life every minute and the threat to young
women and girls.
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