The U.S. Government Improves Access to Clean Water in South Sudan
As the world marks World Water Day on March 22, statistics in South Sudan remain stark. According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, only 34 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water and only 15 percent benefit from improved sanitation. 23 March 2013 US EMBASSY JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan, Susan D. Page, notes on this occasion that “The United States and the American people are committed to helping all the people of South Sudan, as well as people in other countries around the world, to have access to clean, safe, drinking water. But clean water alone is not enough – it is vital that all of us observe good hygiene and sanitation practices to ensure that each of us, our families, and our fellow citizens have better health that includes access to safe water, which is one of our most basic human rights.” Lack of adequate clean water and sanitation contribute to diarrheal diseases that can lead to death, particularly among children and vulnerable groups. Cholera outbreaks in Juba in 2006 and 2007 that resulted in dozens of deaths were due to a lack of access to safe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. The U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is one of the major donors in South Sudan working to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene – investing an average of $25 million per year for this sector from 2007-2011. USAID also provided more than $33.8 million in humanitarian assistance to this sector in fiscal years 2011 and 2012. USAID has invested to improve water and sanitation infrastructure services in Juba, Wau, Malakal, and Maridi in order to provide clean water to these growing underserved urban populations. In Juba, USAID rehabilitated the underground water tank, helped expand the network distribution, and constructed eight water tanker filling stations to allow water trucks to purchase and distribute safe water to underserved areas. In Wau, USAID helped upgrade and expand the main water treatment plant, enabling it to produce 6,000 cubic meters of clean water. Through community outreach, U.S. assistance provides disinfection products for users to directly treat household water. In Tambura, Western Equatoria State, USAID is building community water points to improve the water supply system. More accessible water points greatly benefits women and children who have to do the cleaning and collect water for family use. USAID is also helping to build the community’s capacity to operate and maintain the new water supply system. In all these efforts, the United States is committing to working with South Sudanese officials and the local communities to ensure that programs best meet the needs of the people and the benefits of the programs are enjoyed by as many people as possible. USAID’s emergency relief programs have helped build and rehabilitate hundreds of water points and thousands of latrines, reducing transmission of communicable diseases and improving access to safe drinking water for vulnerable populations. USAID helps spread messages on hygiene and sanitation, and mobilizes communities to actively take part in eliminating open defecation to reduce the risk of disease transmission. A USAID –funded, community-led sanitation program in Gogrial West County, Warrap State, resulted in Adiem village becoming the first village free from open-defecation in South Sudan in November 2012. The U.S. Government is committed to supporting the Republic of South Sudan’s efforts to meet its citizen’s needs in the sector of water, sanitation, and hygiene through close cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation at the national level, as well as with local and state officials where projects are being implemented. ### Posted in: Foreign Aid/Assistance, Press Releases -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
