Water Access

Introduction.

There are increasing numbers of people affected by natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflict. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions are used in nearly all emergency responses to help reduce disease risk.

The most important information concerning WASH and the COVID-19 virus is summarized here.

In the context of the cholera epidemics in Haiti, a pre-crisis market analysis (PCMA) was conducted in Artibonite to study the supply of and demand for various water- and hygiene-related items.

Engagement with market actors is increasingly being recognised to be a key part of humanitarian programming as these actors are well positioned to provide services and distribute commodities to affected communities.

Protracted conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have left tens of millions of people in need of humanitarian and development assistance to have access to water.

A participatory assessment on disaster risk reduction (DRR) was undertaken in GAZA governorate in 2011, OXFAM being the lead agency within the WASH cluster emergency response and preparedness in this area.

This report is based on a desk-based review of secondary data, comprising published material as well as grey literature, supplemented with key informant interviews for programmes that lacked documentation.

Humanitarians increasingly view market-based programming (MBP) and cash-transfer programming (CTP) as an effective response to address humanitarian needs of affected people. This is particularly reflected in the cash commitments made under the Grand Bargain of the World Humanitarian Summit.

Supplying safe drinking water in humanitarian emergencies is critical, and source water chlorination is a commonly implemented intervention to provide safe water.