SIDA supports the access to drinking water of internally displaced people and host community
37-year old Kotim Sawadogo is from Dablo in the region of Centre Nord. On March 2020, her village was attacked by non-state armed groups. Fleeing with her 4 children, they found refuge in Kaya located at about 60 kilometers from Dablo.
They could only take the minimum. “It is really hard to remember anything as the event happened so quickly. What I can say is that we are now safe”.
Upon their arrival, Kotim and her children were taken care of by CONASUR, the government entity that supports and helps the internally displaced people (IDP). They were sheltered on a site adjacent to Cité des 38 villas in sector 6 of Kaya.
Like all the IDP, Kotim has received emergency kits and is awaiting for her own shelter. But the crucial problem she would face was the lack of water. “When we got to Kaya, our first challenge was the lack water. This was a real pain,” she said.
The nearest water pump for the community was about two kilometers away. The arrival of IDP, first considered as ‘invaders’, has put extra pressure on the already scarce water resource as it could not meet all the needs of the increasing population.
Indeed, the water problem was acute at the IDP site to such an extent that it affected the health of the children. Diarrhea and skin diseases were recurrent in the children. Personal hygiene was almost absent. “As a woman, where is my dignity if I can’t stay clean?”, she asks.
Judith Sawadogo is from the host community of Cité des 38 Villas. Aged 28 and mother of 3 children, she faced the same difficulties. “Before the arrival of the IDP, it was already a struggle to have enough water. And when they arrived, my daily supply was barely enough for my family. I had to share my three 20-liter cans with about ten households located around our concession. We don’t refuse water to a foreigner, that’s our motto”, she says.
In January 2020, thanks to UNICEF and with Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA) financial support, 2 water pumps were built. With an hourly flow of 6 and 12 m³, the pumps provide drinking water and fully meet the needs of the IDP and host community.
Ismael Bélemviré works for Alliance Technique d’Assistance au Développement (ATAD), a UNICEF-suported partner. According to him, the lack of water is now over. “Thanks to UNICEF, we were able to restore peace and cohesion between the the IDP and host communities through awareness activities on social cohesion, but also on hygiene and sanitation.
Today, with the new water pumps, Kotim and Judith’s nightmare is behind them. Kotim, like many other IDP who experienced the lack of water, can now drink safe water and reconnect with good hygiene practices.
Thanks to the financial support of Sida, UNICEF was able to improve the access of drinking water for 2,500 people, both IDP and host communities, in the region of Centre Nord.
