UNICEF helps Ethiopia in linking water, sanitation projects
DAKAR, Senegal, Dec 2, 2004 (PANA) – In order to achieve water and sanitation goals in Ethiopia, UNICEF has said it is succeeding by encouraging Ethiopians and other stakeholders to coordinate projects involving the two programmes.
In a Wednesday presentation, “Needs Assessment in Ethiopia for the Millennium Project Task Force on Water and Sanitation,” Hans Spruijt, head of UNICEF water and sanitation programme in the country, said coordination and the adoption of decentralisation were challenges that are being overcome in the country.
Making the presentation at the ongoing Global WASH Forum in Dakar, he said UNICEF has adopted drilling for water and advised the population against depending on shallow wells that become dry during drought only to cause the government to often resettle huge populations.
Spruijt said UNICEF and sanitation agencies do joint assessments so that water is included in the implementation of sanitation projects in Ethiopia, which has a 60% poverty level especially in the rural areas. He said UNICEF was also engaged in capacity building and training of personnel in water projects to overcome challenges facing Ethiopia that is emerging from a non-incentive based society.
He said the decentralisation for water and sanitation, as well as the linking of both schemes, and a commitment by the authorities to set their own Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), have helped to enhance water and sanitation programs in the country.
He praised their policy sector strategy master plan for water and sanitation which donors were following to provide fund for their programmes.
Spruijt said donor cooperation, which saw the tripling aid funds in the past three years and Ethiopians’ commitment to “better use what they have,” have contributed to successes in water and sanitation projects.
He said UNICEF tries to preposition itself by matching proposals with needs instead of responding to water crises in Ethiopia where about 25 million of the over 63 million inhabitants are most vulnerable.
In her remarks, South African forestry and water resources minister Sonjica Buyelwa praised Ethiopia for the presentation, and insisted on the necessity of having ministers of finance to attend conferences like the Global WASH Forum in order to inculcate the importance of the MGDs in them.
She criticised some governments for making meagre budgetary allocations to water and sanitation without regard for the importance of the livelihood of their citizens.
Buyelwa appealed to finance ministers to take the MDGs seriously by ensuring the appropriation of quotas by their governments in order to achieve the set targets.