WASH Khilet Al-May
UNICEF-SoP/ 2023/

Improving access to water resource management in underserved communities of the West Bank

Helping communities in southern Hebron confront water scarcity

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UNICEF
11 July 2023

More than 620,000 Palestinians in underserved communities in the West Bank are either unconnected to piped water services or are receiving insufficient water. They often access water through unsafe water resources or trucks[1]. This lack of access to basic Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) services impacts the daily lives of people as it directly affects a person’s hygiene and health. Families that rely on agriculture and herding as their source of income also suffer from the shortage of water needed to keep their livelihoods.

Water Scarcity in southern Hebron

“I try to save water and purchase a water tank every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on our financial capacity” says Abeer; a mother of 6 children in a marginalized community in southern Hebron. She adds that “Even if we need to buy a water tank each week, we cannot afford it, it is too expensive.” Many people in these communities often rely on purchasing water from trucks. These trucks sell water at a higher price, often double and sometimes 3 times the price of network water.  This is a heavy financial burden on families in these communities as more than 60% get their water through trucks.[2] Abeer’s 12-year-old son, Wael, says “When that water is finished, we have to go, carrying buckets back and forth. These trips can take up to half an hour just so we can wash, drink or cook.”

 

[1] Humanitarian Needs Overview, 2022

[2] Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, UNICEF, 2020

Child Washes his hands in Khillet Al-May
UNICEF-SoP/ 2023/

Ikram, a mother of 10, faces another challenge. “The water shortage is a challenge when it comes to the personal hygiene of my children. I simply don’t let them play outside because I can only bathe them once a week”, she says.

Intervening to provide water access

Works were carried out to rehabilitate and upgrade water pipelines to serve part of the most vulnerable communities in southern Hebron. It can help in providing more water for the people in the region. The mayor of this community, Mohammad, is supervising the construction of a new water line built with support from UNICEF and the Australian Government.

“This pipeline will serve over 8000 people living in our community,” says Mohammad as he stands next to the water pipes that will provide around 350 cubic meters of water each day.

UNICEF’s work in marginalized communities doesn’t only focus on building the water network, but also on building the capacity of the municipal workers in the community. Mohammad says, “through the training of the crews on the hydraulic models and preparing the necessary maps and survey of our old water network as well as the new one; we can save time work when it comes to troubleshooting any possible problems.”

Photo
UNICEF-SoP/ 2023/

Hopes for a better future

Mohammad says that the water pipeline, as well as the training of the municipality crew will reflect positively within the water service itself; and that people will notice a difference in water access. Abeer says, “If we are connected to the water network, this will improve our financial situation.”  Connecting her home to the water network will remove her need to purchase expensive water from trucks.

Ikram says, “when this project provides us with water, I can let my children play freely every day.”

These efforts to mitigate water scarcity are also limiting the spread of diseases. This programme will benefit more than 1,300 women and 2,900 children, including some 1,400 of them girls. Improving the accessibility of water is important, particularly for women and girls who usually bear the responsibility for carrying water. This work, in addition to other WASH activities, is possible thanks to UNICEF’s partnerships with the governments of the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and the United Kingdom.