US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Mississippi, where the state capital of Jackson is experiencing a drinking water crisis after the main water treatment plant failed.

The White House said, “This announcement allows the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all relief efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by the emergency to the local population and provide appropriate assistance,” noting that “Biden ordered federal assistance in addition to the state’s emergency response efforts resulting from the water crisis that began on August 30, 2022 and is still ongoing.

“Biden has directed his team to increase federal assistance to the region,” White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre wrote in a social media statement, emphasizing that “we are determined to help the people of Jackson and the state of Mississippi during this emergency.” time.”

Parts of Jackson have been without running water since Tuesday because the floods exacerbated long-standing problems at one of two water treatment facilities. The city of 150,000 has already been put under a month-long “boiling water” warning after the health ministry found cloudy water that could cause digestive issues.