Quick Impact Project: Urban Water And Sanitation Project (Unmiss)

The overall objective of the project is to improve the health of the water users or beneficiaries in the selected towns' institutions, clinics, markets and community groups in South Sudan by means of quick impact project interventions (QIPs). The design of the projects is configured to blend to an urban water supply later.The specific objectives are to: 1. Provide access to clean water to institutions, clinic, markets and the general population in the selected four towns. 2. Strengthen the role of the County Governments in the delivery of water and sanitation services; 3. Build the capacity of the caretakers/ operators of the installed water supply systems for effective technical and financial management of the systems; 4. Create awareness among the community members to support operation and maintenance (sustainability) through payments of suggested guideline tariffs, as well as proper hygiene practices using the water. 5. Promote the safe disposal of human faecal waste and proper management of solid waste in the towns.The total population for all the four towns is estimated at 105,000 people with approximately 50% being female. Majority the beneficiaries of the project are the large numbers of women and children that are forced to fetch often polluted water from the seasonal rivers. A small number of these are government officials and soldiers. The ratio of IDPs and returnees has been in the range of between 10% and 30% for the different towns.Based on the information obtained from local authorities and drawing reference to the national population census carried out in Sudan in 2008, the number of people living in the selected towns could be in the range of 25% to 30% of the population of the entire county. A staggering 47% to over 52% of this population is aged 16 years and below, which implies that the water project serves to protect a large number of a key vulnerable age group, of largely children.The target areas are also home to a transient but ‘permanent' population of traders from the neighboring countries, comprising (northern) Sudanese, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Kenyans and Ugandans. Some of these nationalities provide important services such as trade and construction services, as the towns benefit from construction financed by money returning from the Government, South Sudanese diaspora, international agencies and other types of investors.Possible partners internal and externalThe groups of stakeholders involved included the following:-UNMISS and UN-Habitat – the main convenors of the groups for discussions;-UNHCR involved in assistance and settlement of returnees and IDPs;- PACT South Sudan involved in the development of water sources and capacity building;-County Commissioners, Deputies, and Executive Officers in the four towns visited, namely, Pibor, Akobo, Yirol and Turalei;-Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation Directors and Deputies at State and County Levels;-Town Level community and youth coordinators;-WASH Cluster members at State level, including ACFUN-Habitat is providing knowledge services