Drinking water supply in Antananarivo: Two additional water trucks to strengthen JIRAMA's action

Antananarivo, 24 March 2021 – The Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene today received two additional water trucks to reinforce JIRAMA’s capacity in the supply of drinking water in Antananarivo city. This endowment by UNICEF was made possible by funds provided by the Kingdom of Norway. 

These vehicles are in addition to three others that were received in January this year by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The use of these trucks by JIRAMA will greatly improve the distribution of drinking water in certain neighbourhoods of Antananarivo and peripheral municipalities, which are experiencing supply difficulties. As a reminder, the situation has required the installation of 125 large drinking water tanks that are supplied by trucks. According to estimates, 125,000 persons will see an improvement in their access to drinking water.

The Minister of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene highlighted "the importance of these new acquisitions to ensure a regular supply of drinking water in the troubled areas of Antananarivo and peripheral municipalities, as part of the emergency response. But this is also part of the medium and long-term strategy to improve the drinking water distribution network of JIRAMA," she said. 

"Access to clean water is essential for the health and hygiene of communities. This is all the more important to make people resilient to Covid-19. Norway hopes that these materials will be used to improve the resilience of the population in the most marginalized urban areas of Antananarivo," said Mr Andreas Danevad, Head of the Norvegian Embassy.

"It is thanks to donors that we are able to make these arrangements for improving the lives of Malagasy families," said Michel Saint-Lot, UNICEF Representative. "The result is that drinking water which is a vital resource is available to tens of thousands more people".

This action is also part of the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and the improvement of the sanitary situation in the two cities of Antananarivo and Toamasina, with the possibility of extending to other cities of Madagascar, given the importance of water in all actions of prevention and response to the pandemic, especially for hand washing with soap.