ETHIOPIA: USAID releases $90 million for drinking water and sanitation
In Ethiopia, access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for 1.7 million people will be improved thanks to two new projects recently launched in the capital Addis Ababa. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will finance the work to the tune of $90 million.
Five years. This is the duration of the implementation of two projects launched on November 3, 2023 in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in the presence of Ervin Massinga, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Ethiopia, and Asfaw Dingamo, the Ethiopian Minister of State for Water Supply and Sanitation in the Ministry of Water and Energy. These are the “Urban Wash” and “Climate Resilient Wash” projects which will increase access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (Wash) for 1.7 million people by 2028 in the country. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has released a total of $90 million to finance the work.
The first project, "Urban Wash", which is in line with USAID's " Expanding Water and Sanitation Project " initiative , focused on institutionalizing the provision of Wash services, increasing responsibility of Wash service providers, supporting policy and regulatory reforms and private sector growth, will be deployed in ten secondary cities in Ethiopia. This project will focus on professionalizing municipal utilities and creating markets for Wash services such as safe toilet bowls and handwashing stations “ that everyone can afford” . “The project will also help local authorities plan and budget for infrastructure in their areas ,” explained the Embassy of the United States of America in Ethiopia.
The Climate Resilient Wash Project, also funded with $45 million, will focus on providing Wash services to underserved rural populations in the regional states of Afar, Oromia, Somali and Southern Ethiopia. and the Center. Climate-resilient water services will be developed for pastoral communities, along with affordable sanitation and hygiene products and services. “We know that by providing our Ethiopian brothers and sisters with hand-washing facilities, improved latrines and other sanitation facilities, children will miss fewer days of school, leading to prosperity in families.” , explained Ervin Massinga, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Ethiopia.
Of the 1.7 million inhabitants targeted by the “Urban Wash” and “Climate Resilient Wash” projects, 900,000 Ethiopians will have continuous access to drinking water and 800,000 people to basic sanitation services. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), currently only 49.6% of Ethiopia's population has access to basic water supply, 8.9% to basic sanitation services. , and 4.8% to basic hygiene services. The consequence is that 60-80% of communicable diseases are attributed to limited access to clean water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene services in the country, as well as 25,000 deaths of children under five years per year are due to diarrhea, specifies Unicef.
The “Urban Wash” and “Climate Resilient Wash” projects financed by USAID will also promote the creation of tens of thousands of jobs for unemployed Ethiopian technicians, specialists in the water and sanitation sectors.
