Tagged: Water, sanitation and hygiene

A woman squats alongside some children beside a clean water storage tank.

From Syria to Yemen: My life in WASH

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“Please, can I have a small plastic basin for my baby to bathe her?” A shy, middle-aged woman whispered these words into my ear. In June 2018, as the conflict in Yemen escalated, this woman, like other displaced families living in this school, had fled her home in Hodeida. I looked at the month-old baby girl in her arms – so weak,… Read more →←
Aerial view of shanties on a hill

A populated neighborhood, but little water to drink

Impact

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Story also available in: Español
“We have not access to water through pipelines for a month. I collected rainwater yesterday,” says Gregorina, 23, while she collects water from a water truck that arrived in Caucaguita, her neighborhood in Petare on the outskirts of Caracas. Petare is one of the most populated areas in Venezuela. Millions of people live on the hilly… Read more →←
A school girl collects water in her hands from a communal water tap.

In Basra: Oil in abundance, but little water to drink

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: العربية 中文
Iraq’s southern city of Basra was once a thriving port city. In its heyday, it was described as the “Venice of the east” due to the numerous canals and bridges all over the city. The comparisons with Venice are long gone. Today, the situation is bleak. Basra’s canals are polluted with filth, algae and bacteria. The riverbanks are… Read more →←
A girl dips a mug into an open tank of water

Using data to end open defecation in Cambodia

Data and research

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Every child deserves to grow up in a clean and safe environment. In communities where open defecation is practiced, children are at risk of disease. Newly released data  confirms that Cambodia has made exemplary progress towards improving toilet use. Since 2000, Cambodia’s progress towards safer sanitation is among the fastest in the… Read more →←
Boys sit on a bench in white shirts; one looks directly at the camera.

Men must talk, even if it makes us uncomfortable

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Sharing the picture below on the internet makes me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Not because I am uncomfortable with the topic. As a communication officer at UNICEF India, I have been creating content around the issue for years now. But somehow, I am uncomfortable talking about it to men and women on a public platform. And to men… Read more →←
A girl pushes two younger children in a wheelbarrow that also bears several jerrycans

Memories from Syria and Yemen

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: العربية 中文
Being responsible for UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme in the Middle East and North Africa region, I’ve served in many countries affected by conflict. These include Syria, Pakistan and Iraq and prolonged stints in countries like Yemen. I will never forget my time in beautiful Syria – a country very close… Read more →←
A young lady squatting on the ground as she uses a hose to fill water into two jerrycans.

Searching for clean water in Gaza

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: العربية Español Français 中文
There is no simple narrative about water and sanitation in the State of Palestine. It’s one about Gaza, the West Bank, and multiple contexts within each. But for a child – or a family — it’s access to safe water and sanitation that ultimately matters. That’s why, after three years working in the State of Palestine, I wanted to… Read more →←
A smiling girl holding a red bucket filled with water stands at the doorway of a wooden walled toilet, with two other girls looking in.

When nature calls, where do you go?

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When you get that feeling … when you can’t hold it any longer and you just have to go … where do you do it? I grew up in Australia and remember spending summers in the outback. When nature called, I would have to use an outhouse — a long drop toilet in a tiny shed in the backyard. I would go as quickly as possible, terrified that… Read more →←
Top view of some young boys and girls using an outdoor water tap.

Revolutionizing toilets: China leads the way

Experts speak

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Story also available in: 中文
The future depends on what we do in the present. Mahatma Gandhi’s words floated through my mind as my flight landed in Beijing. I had a full schedule ahead of me, focused on initiatives that could make the current global sanitation crisis a thing of the past. There’s a toilet revolution in China and it’s not difficult to understand… Read more →←

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