Water, sanitation and hygiene

Mabkhout Saad Ali Al-Ezz, a 42-year-old car mechanic, collects water flowing from the pipe just outside his home in a dry and remote community in the Khab wa Asha’af District in Al-Jawf Governorate. “We used to walk over 15 kilometers to bring water,” says Mabkhout. “It was exhausting and dangerous, especially for children who were also helping us…

In the southwestern Yemeni governorate of Lahj, 6,448 boys and girls in 20 schools are learning about the ways to better protect themselves with improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices in an education programme supported by UNICEF. UNI495989 Rabab Al-Subaihi is one of the students at Al-Imam Al-Aozai secondary school in the Khoor Omairah…

In As Safra’a, a district in Saada governorate, over 9,000 people in Kuna will now have access to safe and sustainable water resources following the construction of solar-powered wells and water tanks as well as improved water networks. That means women and children will no longer have to walk long distances carrying heavy jerry cans and families…, Hope for residents’ return, Saif Muhammad Al-Amri, a resident of Wadi Kuna says, “Before the rehabilitation of the water network, the situation was very challenging due to water scarcity and the difficulty in accessing clean and safe water sources.” He added, “Many residents were displaced because they struggled to secure their water needs and had to purchase water from…, Saving time and effort, Residents of Wadi Kuna used to rely on surface wells and fetch water from distant areas to meet their water needs. Things even took a turn for the worse after the water project came to a halt in 2016, exacerbating the hardships caused by water scarcity and the increased expenses associated with buying water from water tankers. Abdul Rahman Ali…

With funding from USAID, UNICEF has supported water projects in Marib Governorate, northeastern Yemen, since it has become one of the main destinations for internally displaced people (IDPs) from different governorates in Yemen. This support does not only meet the immediate needs of the displaced population and the host community but also…, Sustainable source of water, Aisha Hussein, a 55-year-old beneficiary, shares the difficulties she used to face before the water project. "We used to struggle to get enough water, often having to travel long distances for an insufficient amount that would not meet our drinking, domestic, and livestock watering needs," she recalls. However, Aisha says the project has changed…, Alleviating suffering, With the water projects in Marib, both IDPs and the host community can now access clean and safe water. Amer Yahya, a 45-year-old resident of Istanbul IDP camp in Marib, who was displaced from Nihm to Marib, shares his experience. "Our living conditions were extremely difficult, and the scarcity of water only added to our suffering," he explains…, Overcoming challenges, Similarly, Ibrahim Mustafa, an engineer and the resident supervisor of the project, emphasizes that the project played a crucial role in providing vital water services to water-deprived areas. "The project involved expanding the water supply network to cater to the needs of residential neighborhoods and IDP camps," he said. Despite encountering…

Sa’ada, 2 November 2023 –   More than 44,000 people in the vulnerable communities of Sa’ada and Razih will have access to safe and sustainable water sources with new water projects set to transform the lives of families. UNICEF and the governorate of Sa’ada on Wednesday launched the Tolomus and Quhza water stations to provide clean and sufficient…

The generous funding from the Qatar Fund for Development has enabled UNICEF to rehabilitate the Al Shalil Water Project in Sehar District, Sa’ada Governorate. Now, the project provides clean and sustainable water for about 6,000 beneficiaries from local communities and displaced people. The rehabilitation included the installation of a solar-…

Sana’a, 1 September 2023 – The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government has contributed GBP 15 million to help UNICEF enhance its response to the needs of children and women in the areas of health, nutrition, WASH and child protection in Yemen.   With the contribution, UNICEF aims to improve the health and…

Street sign board in Marib city, Yemen, of a UNICEF WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) project Funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The generous funding enabled UNICEF to implement three projects to pump potable water in Marib governorate. The projects aim to provide clean water sources to the poorest areas in Yemen,…

In the spring of 2022, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and UNICEF embarked on a joint implementation program aimed at addressing the critical water and sanitation challenges faced by the conflict-affected communities in Yemen. This project was titled "Providing Potable Water Supplies and Human Use for the Governorates…, The essence of the project and implementation, Amidst the ongoing crisis and its impact on the already weakened social and economic institutions and healthcare system, the people of Yemen faced a dire situation regarding access to clean drinking water. UNI430656 The tower tank with a capacity of 150 cubic meters, and the solar Power system of Mahda water system project implemented by UNICEF…, Rehabilitation and Construction of Water Supply Systems, The project involved the rehabilitation and expansion of urban and rural water supply systems in target areas. Seven water supply systems were successfully rehabilitated in Marib, Saada, and Al Jawf governorates, surpassing the initial target and providing access to safe water for an estimated 132,536 people. "This project finally gave my family…, Implementing solar power systems, The various solarized water supply projects helped ensure sustainability and reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based water pumping. Altogether, it allowed making the water supply stable and independent from the fluctuations of unstable oil prices. In this effort, two phases of solar pumps were successfully implemented in the Al Nawa'em and Qala'at…, Providing water supply to internally displaced people, One of the project’s most significant achievements was connecting the internally displaced people (IDP) settlements to existing water supply systems. It helped to eliminate the need for water truck services, which provided an unstable and often overpriced supply of water to the IDP sites, which were growing rapidly as the hostilities aggravated…, Improvement of Hygiene and Sanitation in the Affected Areas, The project included the construction of emergency latrines with cesspits and three cesspit pits in Majzer district and Marib city, benefiting a total of 6,986 people. The enhanced sanitation infrastructure contributed to preventing disease outbreaks and improving the overall health and well-being of the affected population. "The project is very…, Putting People’s Lives First, While the project's achievements are commendable, its true impact lies in the lives it transformed. Families, children, and individuals who once faced uncertainty every time they sought water now have a glimmer of stability in their lives. "This project finally gave us some stability," admits Fatima Al-Khalid, who lives in Alzira'ah District of…

28 August 2023, Sana’a – In mid-2022, UNICEF received a critical contribution of $5 million from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in support of UNICEF’s efforts to improve the water supply, sanitation and hygiene services for highly vulnerable people (including internally displaced persons) in the governorates of Marib, Al Jawf,…

Sana’a, 11 June 2023 – The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has contributed US$15 million to help UNICEF strengthen sanitation and water systems in Yemen. This generous contribution will support the implementation of 13 water and sanitation projects in 11 major cities across Yemen. The interventions under this grant will focus on strengthening…

Although providing uncontaminated and secure drinking water is of paramount importance, Yemen continues to grapple with the adverse consequences of water scarcity experienced by a majority of its population. This predicament is further exacerbated in areas where there is a shortage of water projects and interrupted access to basic services,…, Efficient and Effective Response, With funding from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, UNICEF works tirelessly to aid displaced and host communities in their efforts to access clean water and bolster Marib's infrastructure. This tireless work has resulted in the implementation of three water projects, which were initiated at the beginning of 2023 and will continue…, A Positive Impact and Overwhelming Joy, According to Fatima Al- Khalidi, “When I see the ongoing excavations in Marib, and the hard work put in by the workers involved in the project, it fills me with hope, due to the severe water scarcity problem that all residents of the city face. “It is really tremendous efforts,” she adds, “for which we are thankful, of course." Al- Khalidi…