South Sudan Country Office
WATER,
© UNICEF South Sudan/2016/Ohanesian
SANITATION AND
HYGIENE (WASH)
Situation Overview
Providing accessible, improved and
sustainable WASH services is essential for
all humanitarian, recovery and
development interventions, and thus a
key UNICEF priority.
The protracted conflict that began in
December 2013 continues to affect the
already poor rate of access to safe water
in South Sudan, placing children at
increased risk of waterborne diseases
such as diarrhoea and cholera. This is
validated by the protracted cholera
outbreak that started in June 2016 and
continued for over one year before being
was declared over in February 2018.
According to the UNICEF-WHO 2017 Joint
Monitoring Programme, over 61 per cent
of the population of South Sudan practice
open defecation, and the few existing
sanitation facilities are mostly in disrepair.
High open defecation rates are
exacerbated by the internal displacement
of over 1.94 million people since
December 2013. The worsening economic
crisis has negatively affected the cost of
delivering WASH services. Institutional
capacity is fragmented and communities
that are unable to afford clean water
have reverted to using contaminated
water sources. Shortage of fuel is
increasing the cost of water trucking, a
service that is vital in areas such as the
Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites.
Due to insecurity in some areas, the
capacity of WASH partners on the
ground has become limited; and thus
June 2018
access to those in need of WASH services
Situation of children
has been constrained. Continued
insecurity has also led to new inflows of 50%
internally displaced persons (IDPs) into coverage for water
PoC sites and vulnerable host nationally.
communities, exerting pressure on the
existing WASH facilities. In particular, the
regular influx of IDPs into PoC sites such
10%
coverage for sanitation
as UN House Juba, Bentiu, Wau and nationally.
Malakal, as well as Mingkaman IDP camp,
is making operation and maintenance of
WASH systems a challenge due to 61%
frequent breakdowns and lack of fuel of the population practice
open defecation.
supplies.
Impact of the conflict: The renewal of
UNICEF & partner results 2018
conflict and resulting population
displacements since July 2016 has
increased WASH needs in many areas. 490,941
# of target population
While UNICEF remains at the forefront of
provided with access to
the response, restrictions on access to
safe water as per agreed
many locations, both by air and road, standards (7.5-15 liters of
continue to affect movement of staff and water per person per
supplies. Furthermore, implementing day).
partners and private sector service
providers have been obliged to withdraw 125,819
# of target population
from some locations, further delaying
provided with access to
implementation. A significant number of
appropriate sanitation
communities targeted for community-led facilities.
total sanitation (CLTS) programmes have
been affected by the conflict and 568,496
displaced from their homes. Such events IDPs and host
a negative impact on community communities reached with
hygiene promotion
participation and progress of CLTS
messages.
implementation. Considering the ongoing
economic hardships, construction of
latrines is not considered a household 516,172
priority. people reached with WASH
core pipeline supplies.
 UNICEF WASH and partner results
© UNICEF South Sudan/2016/Everett
UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead agency,
provides a comprehensive WASH
emergency response in and outside PoC
sites and in vulnerable host
communities. UNICEF as the core WASH
supplies manager has reached over
516,172 people with WASH supplies by
June 2018.
Access to water: In 2018, UNICEF has
supported 490,941 people to access safe
water through water trucking, drilling
and rehabilitation of water points,
installation of solar operated pumps,
operating surface water treatment
systems and providing households with
water purifiers. In collaboration with
WASH Cluster partners, residents of the
PoC and IDP sites continue to access safe
water-based on Sphere Standards.
Access to sanitation: In 2018, over
125,819 additional IDPs and host
community members have received
access to safe sanitation facilities through
construction of semi-permanent latrines
in PoC and IDP sites, as well as communal
and household latrines in vulnerable host
communities. These sanitation facilities
are designed to mitigate the risk of
gender-based violence.
Community-led total sanitation (CLTS):
UNICEF continues to support demand-
driven approaches to sanitation through
CLTS, resulting in 53 villages being
declared open defecation-free as of June
For more information contact:
Mahimbo Mdoe Tim Irwin
Representative Chief of Communications
Tel. +211 912 176 444 Tel. +211 956 908 832
Email: mmdoe@unicef.org Email: tjirwin@unicef.org
More information on the situation in South Sudan and UNICEF response, including the latest
situation reports, can be found athttps://www.unicef.org/southsudan/
2018. Through CLTS activities, 51,725 WASH services, will be given priority in
people now live in open defecation free the construction/rehabilitation of
villages. UNICEF will continue to explore latrines to ensure safe sanitation. Latrine
additional, flexible community blocks for girls in beneficiary schools will
approaches to increase access to include a change room for menstrual
sanitation in areas of displacement. hygiene management, helping girls stay
in school. As of June 2018, UNICEF
Hygiene promotion: In 2018, UNICEF
supported 55 schools benefitting 18,523
continues to accelerate hygiene
boys and 14,072 girls. Furthermore, over
promotion activities aimed at containing
23,829 school girls were reached with
and preventing cholera outbreaks, in
menstrual hygiene management
collaboration with Communication for
services.
Development (C4D) and health
programmes. So far this year, 568,496
Urban WASH response: With growing
people have been reached.
demand and economic deterioration,
Cholera response: The last cholera UNICEF and its development partners are
outbreak ended in December 2017, initiating projects to increase safe water
following 20,442 reported cases and 426 supply for the urban poor through
deaths. In anticipation of another construction/upgrading of urban water
outbreak in the coming rainy season, systems in Juba, Wau and Malakal. Water
UNICEF WASH, Health and C4D sections users associations from benefiting
have put in place robust preparedness communities will ensure sustainability of
and response plans for any eventuality. such systems.
This includes prepositioning cholera With thanks to our generous donors, including:
supplies in hotspots across the country.
▪ CHF ▪ Swiss Agency
Guinea worm eradication: In 2015, ▪ CERF for Development and
major progress was made in the final ▪ DFID Cooperation
push towards the eradication of guinea ▪ GIZ ▪ USAID
worm. No cases have been reported ▪ Japan ▪ US Fund for UNICEF
since January 2017. ▪ OFDA ▪ German Government
WASH in schools and health centers: Funding required in 2018
UNICEF is upscaling its institutional
US$ 43,455,000 65%
WASH programme in 2018. Schools and funding
hygiene/nutrition, underserved with Funding available in 2018
gap
US$ 15,016,049