In a guest post for the ONE Campaign Blog, Brooks Keene, policy adviser for CARE’s Water Team, makes the argument that foreign aid should benefit the poor first and foremost. Keene reflects on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) policy implementation since Congress passed the Water for the Poor Act in 2005, and concludes that the US could be doing better to ensure aid reaches the people that need it most. Below is an excerpt from the post, which can also be found here.

US aid for water, sanitation and hygiene should benefit the poor

By Brooks Keene

In 2005, Congress passed the overwhelmingly bipartisan Water for the Poor Act, sending a strong signal to the Administration that both parties believe that water and sanitation for the poor is a strategic priority for US foreign policy. The Administration was to come back with a strategy within 180 days.

As we approach World Water Day on March 22, CARE, NRDC and WaterAid have published a report card on how well the Act has been implemented seven years down the line. The bad news is that a strategy has still not been released. The good news is that there are signals that it could be released soon. Leadership from Secretary Clinton and USAID Raj Shah has given new life to solving one of the world’s great crises.

View the full post on the ONE Blog.