Activities

Water & Sanitation

© UNICEF/SL/Pietrasik/42

Sri Lanka is working towards meeting its Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation five years ahead of schedule by targeting 85% of the population with safe drinking water and 70% of the population with safe sanitation by 2010. However, wide regional disparities mean the situation remains grim for many children and women.

• About one-third of Sri Lankan households have no access to sanitation
• About one-quarter have no access to safe drinking water
• 18% of the child population lacks access to any water supply or sanitation facility or service.
• Every year a large percentage of Sri Lankan children suffer from some form of diarrhoeal disease
• A high percentage of Sri Lanka’s 10,000 schools do not have adequate water and sanitation facilities and about 600 do not have any at all.

UNICEF’s water and sanitation activities aim to address both the immediate needs of Sri Lankan coastal communities affected in the aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami, as well as to support the entire country’s ongoing requirements in maintaining clean and safe water supplies, sanitation and hygiene support.