15 Nov 2018   

UNICEF provides safe drinking water to rural villages in Syria

In collaboration with the United Kingdom, UNICEF has delivered safe drinking water to 25 villages in east rural Hama. UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies are now able to access former war-torn areas due to the shift in conflict lines.

In August, UNICEF delivered one million litres of water every five days to 60,000 people living in the villages.

For eight years, war has impacted the lives of numerous families. In rural Hama, most of the wells and water sources are no longer functional due to war damage and neglect of the water infrastructure. 

In order to survive, many families had to purchase expensive water from private providers with minimal to no knowledge of the water quality. As a result, this has increased children’s expsoure to diarrhoea and waterborne diseases.

The lack of water has effected the personal hygiene of many residents. School principals noted there had been a prevalence of scabies and lice amongst school children.

UNICEF has installed ten water tanks across the affected areas to increase water storage capacity.  In the Kfaraa village, UNICEF is distributing water purification tablets to mitigate the risk of relying on other unsafe water sources, while organising hygiene promotion sessions.

The AIDF Global Summit will return to Washington in 2019. 

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Photo Credit: UNICEF