Charity calls for help for people of Aral Sea area

The charity Médecins Sans Frontières is making a plea this weekend for additional help for the four million people living in the area surrounding the Aral Sea who have poor access to potable water.

The Aral Sea lies within Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The local drinking water has a high salt content and is often contaminated by pesticide residues, phenols, and, occasionally, heavy metals.

At the second world water forum being held in the Hague this weekend, water specialists, politicians, and officials from …