Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
Access to drinking water and sanitation is a vital need
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The issues
Twenty-six per cent of Haitians have no access to improved water sources (41 per cent in rural areas and 5 per cent in urban areas).
Only 25 per cent of households have access to adequate handwashing facilities with soap.
Twenty-five per cent of households resort to open defecation (36 per cent in rural areas and 10 per cent in urban areas).
Seven out of 10 people do not have access to an improved sanitation system.
The solutions
Operational plans adapted for children: UNICEF will ensure that the National Directorate for drinking water and sanitation (DINEPA) and its implementing partners develop strategies, operational plans and monitoring tools adapted for children.
Improving WASH coverage: In conjunction with the health, nutrition and education components, UNICEF will contribute to extending the coverage of WASH services and strengthening sustainable management systems in the 15 communes most affected by cholera and having only limited access to these services.
Combating open defecation: To ensure that women, children and their families understand the importance of ending the practice of open defecation and know when it is imperative to wash their hands with soap, UNICEF will implement, in collaboration with its partners, a comprehensive strategy to promote behavioural change and the adoption of good sanitation and hygiene practices.
Strengthening water treatment systems: To ensure that DINEPA and its partners have the capacity to respond in a coordinated and effective manner to the cholera epidemic and other emergencies, UNICEF will strengthen water treatment systems at home and drinking water purification facilities.
The water, sanitation and hygiene programme in figures
- 85,000 people have access to an improved source of drinking water thanks to the construction/rehabilitation of water points or at-home water treatment.
- As part of the support for the national sanitation policy, more than 300 localities have been reached by the community- led total sanitation approach (CLTS).
- 100,000 people were sensitised through hygiene messages, particularly on the importance of handwashing.
- 20,000 children in 100 target schools have adopted good hygiene practices.
- 20,000 families have built their own toilets without financial support.
Resources
UNICEF, through its WASH strategy 2016-2030, will encourage : the establishment of strategic partnerships through the international Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) platform; the promotion of a sectoral approach to ensure the coherence and complementarity of interventions among key actors; government coordination and robust information systems which are two major pillars for effective WASH sector management; the generation of evidence for accelerated WASH coverage to achieve the WASH-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6).
Why are these efforts necessary?
Access to water and sanitation is fundamental to early childhood development. Water-borne diseases are a major cause of mortality in young children.
The WASH figures for Haiti are still a long way from the SDG target of universal access to sanitation services.
There are still major disparities between rural and urban areas in terms of access to water and sanitation.
You can access our reports and research by clicking on the link below: Ressources et publications