Improving access to drinking water and sanitation for the poverty-stricken

Context

Civil war, continuing violence, numerous regional conflicts and recurring crises have contributed to a steady worsening of basic services in South Sudan in vital areas such as water, health, energy and food.

South Sudan is characterised by a barely functioning water and sanitation infrastructure. Some existing water sources have been destroyed, while water treatment plants are frequently dilapidated and require extensive maintenance. The technical and business knowledge needed to ensure a pro-poor supply of drinking water and sanitation is also lacking. The national Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation estimates that less than 40 per cent of the entire population has access to safe drinking water. At the same time, only around ten per cent of the population has access to basic sanitation.

Objective

Access to drinking water and sanitation, especially for the disadvantaged sections of the population, is improved.

Approach

The project is providing transitional development assistance in the Equatoria region, with a combination of humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding.

The International Committee of the Red Cross as well as the KfW Development Bank (KfW) and its implementation partner, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), is supporting a stable water supply infrastructure with, for example, pumping stations, water treatment plants, a supply network and water kiosks. Alongside that, the project is helping to stabilise the operational basis of decentralised water utilities. In addition, it is developing experts’ technical and operational skills for the provision of a pro-poor supply of drinking water and sanitation.

Moreover, hygiene and sanitation conditions in schools and vulnerable households are being improved in the long term and a gender-appropriate sanitation infrastructure is being restored and developed.

Last update: July 2022