Abu Rasen village's children and families now have access to safe water

Ninewa, Iraq, 30 March 2023 – When children do not have access to clean water, it really affects their health, nutrition, education, and many other aspects of their lives.

UNICEF is assisting seven villages and remote areas in Ninewa Governorate, North-West Iraq, to ensure access to drinking water. As part of its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene programme, UNICEF is helping by digging wells and preparing and installing water desalination systems, because access to clean water is the right of every child and person.

Access to safe water is someone's dream somewhere

“We were suffering from unsafe water in the village and most villagers were forced to drink this water even though it was not drinking water, and that's because they were unable to afford filtered water," says Mohsen Sayer Muhammad, a 48-year-old man, a Community Leader in the village of Abu Rasen.

UNICEF assessed the water needs of 104 villages in the Baaj District of Ninewa Governorate in 2022. In seven of them, water systems were installed. UNICEF collaborated with the recipient authorities (the Baaj Mayor Office) from the initial stages of evaluation to better benefit the region and community.

Abu Rasen village was one of the selected villages. UNICEF rehabilitated the local well and installed the desalination system.

"This initiative has benefited us in many ways, the most important of which is the health of our children and families, who now have access to safe water. It also reduces the economic pressure to buy water," Mohsen explains. "This was quite beneficial for our village," he continues, "but now, considering electricity is only available for a few hours during the day, we need a solar energy system to power this water desalination system."

Mohsen Sayer Muhammad, a Community Leader in the Abu Rasen village, Baaj District of Ninewa Governorate, with his son Sultan.

Among the seven villages where UNICEF installed water systems, 100 per cent of the population was having problems accessing safe drinking water. They were buying it from trucks, which were not always safe and were expensive. Following UNICEF engagement, 80 per cent of the targeted individuals stopped relying on water trucking from remote water sources and began using the newly built water systems for both drinking and household purposes. The remaining 20 per cent of the targeted individuals continue to face a shortage of safe water. A generator is needed to operate the water supply system and the population faces a twofold issue: a lack of access to national power grid electricity and, at the same time, a lack of capacity to operate a generator. 

UNICEF is now aiming to assist Abu Rasen village and a few other villages in Ninewa Governorate by supplying them with a solar energy system, making it easier for the inhabitants of the region to access water.

"I am happy that we now have drinking water," says Sultan Mohsen Sayer, the son of a Community Leader in the village of Abu Rasen, Mohsen Sayer Muhammad, Baaj District of Ninewa Governorate.

"I hope that other villages in the region will be provided with this great service, and everyone will be able to enjoy clean water," Mohsen concludes.

This initiative was made possible thanks to funding from Germany through KfW development bank and Korea. More focus and efforts are required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: Universal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. UNICEF is calling for greater collaboration and funding to enhance household access to safe water, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable communities.