International Development Agency funds the promotion of rural small town water and sanitation
The government of Iceland through their International Development Agency (Iceida) is funding the promotion of rural small town water and sanitation to the tune of $3.5 million for a period of 3 years.
Maputo - The government of Iceland through their International Development Agency (Iceida) is funding the promotion of rural small town water and sanitation to the tune of $3.5 million for a period of 3 years. These funds will be channeled through UNICEF to improve the lives of children across the province of Zambezia, by providing sustainable and much-needed access to sanitation facilities and improved water sources.
"Access to water and sanitation as basic needs is recognized as a human right. It is also an accepted fact that water is closely linked to economic growth and development. Therefore, I believe that support for this programme that in fact has a multi-sectoral impact on education, health, environment and gender equality, will lead to visible, positive change in Zambezia." says ThordisSigurdardottir, ICEIDA’s Head of Mission in Mozambique.
Only 6% of the 4.7 million population of Zambezia has access to improved sanitation, with access to drinking water at only 26%. The programme places its main emphasis on sanitation, as coverage in rural areas is very low. However, as households need an adequate supply of water to ensure adequate hygiene, targeted communities will benefit from promotion of hygiene and sanitation, as well as provision of safe water supply.
The funding from Iceland will contribute to the joint UNICEF - Government of Mozambique programme budgeted at $8.1 million over 3 years. The programme will supply 300,000 people with adequate sanitation facilities, 48,000 with improved water sources, and 14,000 schoolchildren with improved water and sanitation facilities in 40 schools in primarily rural Zambézia.
“Thanks to these funds, we will develop cost effective and sustainable models to increase access of rural communities to water and sanitation services, and build the capacity of provincial and district institutions to manage the programmes,” says UNICEF Representative Koenraad Vanormelingen. “Children in Zambézia need this investment and it will contribute to their improved survival and development. This is all the more crucial at this time of recovery from the floods that devastated a considerable number of districts in this and other parts of the country."
The programme, as part of PRONASAR (National Rural Sanitation Programme), will initially cover the districts of Gúruè and Gilé with investments in water infrastructure, sanitation and hygiene and capacity building, and will be expanded to three more districts.
For more information, please contact:
Gabriel Pereira
Tel +258 21 481 181
email: maputo@unicef.org