Through this project, ACTED’s team in Somalia are aiming to improve access to safe, clean and sufficient drinking water for vulnerable communities in Yufle of Sanag and Talex of Sool regions, to give them access to basic services and rebuild their dignity.
ACTED’S WASH project improved access to safe water, hygiene, and environmental sanitation for vulnerable communities. Through construction of two new boreholes, this intervention significantly improved water-scarcity affected communities’ access to clean and safe water, and also contributed to reducing prevalence rates of water-borne diseases.
Somaliland continues to face a complex and protracted humanitarian crisis, resulting from natural and manmade disasters, and which continues to trigger displacement trends as well as exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. Within this context, water scarcity is common, and in areas like Sanag and Sool it has been further aggravated by persistent clan conflicts in the region. Consequentially, communities have been left water insecure, as clean and safe drinking water, as well as water for cooking and tending livestock, have not been sufficiently available to meet the needs on the ground.
In addition to works of construction, ACTED also delivered training to community members on the management of the boreholes, ensuring that maintenance of the water points can be conducted in order to preserve their functionality long-term.
The two boreholes now serve various communities, improving water access for a total of 10,000 households
ACTED’s work in Yufle and Talex led to the reduction of water stress faced by the surrounding communities, and have enabled communities to discontinue use of water from unprotected shallow wells and water pans – the leading source for water borne diseases in the area. Also, the team’s action had a great, positive impact on children, the elderly and women and girls. Indeed, they now spend less time walking long distances in search for water, substantially decreasing exposure to risks.
My livestock used to rely on water from distant berkads, where we used to take them during the middle of the night to avoid standing in long queues. It took us a minimum of 3 hours to reach there. We also used to receive drinking water from Erigavo through water trucks which was very expensive, and sometimes hard to access.
Mako’s sole source of livelihood has been the sale of shoats and cattle in Yufle surroundings. Due to the lack of accessible water within the village, her family used to rely on accessing drinking water from trucks that delivered it from Erigavo, 30km away from Yufle. The transportation of water in this manner resulted in unsustainably high costs for safe water, and necessitated that she walk for 3km daily in search of affordable, safe and clean water in order to meet her household water needs.
Now, Mako and other families in Yufle area fetch water from the water kiosks constructed by ACTED. Their animals can also access this safe, clean, cheap and accessible water.