In the harrowing aftermath of Haiti's earthquake, one of the greatest needs became desperately clear: safe water.

The outpouring of support from millions of people in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti has been impressive.

For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it.

As a chef, I could not wash my hands - nor clean pots, pans, utensils, meats or produce, nor make soups and sauces - if I did not have clean water. Were this to happen, of course, these would be the least of my concerns. Because water is the linchpin of survival: without it, not much else matters.

It never ceases to amaze me that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that can be so utterly stupid.

Clean water and access to food are some of the simplest things that we can take for granted each and every day. In places like Africa, these can be some of the hardest resources to attain if you live in a rural area.