▁unable ▁to ▁access ▁clean ▁water ▁or ▁san itation ▁facilities , ▁rendering ▁the ▁Roma ▁people ▁more ▁vulner able ▁to ▁health ▁problems , ▁such ▁as ▁dise ases . ▁Based ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁the ▁Health ▁& ▁Environment ▁Alliance ▁has ▁included ▁a ▁statement ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁Roma ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁pam ph lets : ▁" Den ied ▁environmental ▁benefits ▁such ▁as ▁water , ▁se w age ▁treatment ▁facilities , ▁san itation ▁and ▁access ▁to ▁natural ▁resources , ▁and ▁suffer ▁from ▁expos ure ▁to ▁environmental ▁ha z ards ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁ha z ard ous ▁waste ▁sites , ▁inc iner ators , ▁fact ories , ▁and ▁other ▁sources ▁of ▁poll ution ." ▁Since ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁commun ism ▁and ▁the ▁priv at isation ▁of ▁the ▁formerly ▁state ▁owned ▁water - supp ly ▁companies ▁in ▁many ▁areas ▁of ▁central ▁and ▁eastern ▁Europe , ▁the ▁provision ▁of ▁decent ▁running ▁water ▁to ▁illegal ▁buildings ▁which ▁are ▁often ▁occupied ▁by ▁Roma ▁became ▁a ▁particularly ▁sensitive ▁issue , ▁because ▁the ▁new ▁international ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁water - supp ly ▁companies ▁are ▁unw illing ▁to ▁make ▁contract s ▁with ▁the ▁Roma ▁population ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁" water - bor ne ▁dise ases , ▁such ▁as ▁di arr ho ea ▁and ▁d ys ent ery " ▁became ▁" an ▁almost ▁constant ▁feature ▁of ▁daily ▁life , ▁especially ▁for ▁children ". ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁study ▁that ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Development ▁Program , ▁the ▁percentage ▁of ▁Roma ▁with ▁access ▁to ▁running ▁water ▁and ▁se