SANDAKAN, Nov. 4 -- Fire-hit families in Kampung Bahagia, who were left without safe water and proper toilets when a blaze tore through their water village in April, now have new facilities to help them recover.

Mercy Malaysia and Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) today officially launched the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at a ceremony at the Kampung Bahagia Children's Humanitarian Development Centre near here, followed by a site visit.

"Clean water and safe sanitation are the foundation of health and dignity, especially for families rebuilding their lives after losing their homes," Mercy Malaysia president Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus said in a statement.

"When the fire devastated Kampung Bahagia, restoring these basic servic...