Safe Water 4 All = Resilient Communities and Healthy Children
Harare, 2 October 2024—Access to safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene services are key to ensuring children's rights to health, nutrition, education, and protection. Without water, a child cannot be fed well and grow healthy. As Zimbabwe faces the El Nino-induced drought, UNICEF calls on the Government and partners to prioritise investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene to build resilience at the community level.
Access to safe water remains a challenge for communities in Zimbabwe. Only 81 per cent of rural people have access to improved water sources (data 2024 - ZIMLAC). About half of the households have access to safe water less than 500 meters from home.
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing strong and intense El Nino-induced drought, leading to water scarcity and further jeopardising access to safe water for many Zimbabwean people. Because of the drought, nearly four per cent of the boreholes in the rural areas in Zimbabwe have dried up, particularly in Matabeleland South and Masvingo Provinces. The situation is worsening. Broken boreholes rose to more than 6,000 by August 2024. Access to safe water is also worrying in urban settings, including in Harare and Bulawayo, where water production is insufficient to cover the needs.
Water scarcity increases the risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition among children. It can also lead to school dropouts and child labor and increases the risk of child exploitation and abuse as children are mobilised to fetch water from far away distances, in insecure circumstances as water is sometimes collected late in the evening or early morning.
The El Nino-induced drought reminds us of the critical nature of ensuring sustained access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to prevent and respond to climate change shocks like droughts. Our response cannot be limited to providing food assistance. By ensuring sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, we contribute to ensuring the protection of children's rights, including the right to health, nutrition, education, and protection. By providing access to safe water in communities, we build their resilience to cope with climate change-related shocks like the El Nino-induced drought and prevent child malnutrition, morbidity and mortality. With water we contribute to a sustainable future at the community level.
To respond to the water scarcity households are facing, UNICEF – as co-sector lead on water, sanitation and hygiene with the Government - works with its partners to enhance safe water supply to communities, health facilities, and schools facing water insecurity through the
- rehabilitation of existing water systems and construction of new water systems, including climate-resilient multi-purpose solar-powered piped water systems that enable safe drinking, domestic, livestock, and garden water.
- increasing water storage capacity at the community and institutional level.
- promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices and water conservation through established community health and hygiene mechanisms and mass media.
To deal with the El Ninon induced drought, UNICEF appealed for 34 million USD for the rehabilitation of water points and to ensure people in need are provided with access to safe water. While funding contributions have been limited until now, UNICEF, the Government and partners in the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors were able to
- set up a dashboard to track and monitor water systems in rural areas.
- provide more than 55,000 people in need access to safe water through rehabilitating 67 boreholes and developing 15 solar piped water systems.
- provide nearly 55,000 people with access to critical water supplies, including water treatment chemicals, soap and water containers.
- installed 50 health clubs in schools and communities to promote appropriate behaviour in times of reduced access to safe water.
UNICEF calls on the Government, donor community, and partners to prioritise interventions aimed at providing sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for children and their families in communities. Increased funding will enable the implementation of innovative approaches that build community resilience to effectively mitigate the consequences of climate-related shocks, preserve development gains and protect the well-being of children.
Media contacts
Elizabeth B. Mupfumira
Communications Specialist
UNICEF
Tel: +263 772 124 277
Tel: +263 772 104 579
Email: emupfumira@unicef.org
Yves Willemot
Chief of Communications
UNICEF Zimbabwe
Tel: +263772124268
Email: ywillemot@unicef.org