South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The government has signed an agreement aimed toward improving access to safe water and sanitation.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit signed the country’s Heads of State Initiative Compact on Water and Sanitation on Monday that will ensure the rights of all citizens to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), according to a statement issued by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Juba.
“Safe water and a clean-living environment are critical for a country to grow and prosper. Therefore, the government must provide an enabling environment for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to develop, manage and review policies, strategies, and guidelines, including passing the Water Bill into an Act,” Kiir said at a ceremony attended by diplomats and representatives from the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
UNICEF noted that South Sudan faces enormous water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges, which cause poor health, including malnutrition, school absenteeism, loss of household income, and reduced workforce productivity.
It noted that the signing of the Compact on Water and Sanitation marks a significant step forward in improving the water and sanitation situation in the country which faces many climate-related, social and economic challenges.
The WASH Compact stems from the global UN Water Conference in March 2023, held in New York. It is built upon clear commitments that encompass increased budget allocations, innovative sources of financing, and comprehensive plans for the construction of vital water and sanitation infrastructure.
South Sudan is the first country on the African continent and the second in the world to sign the Compact by a Head of State.
UNICEF disclosed that critical goal of the Compact is to ensure that open defecation in South Sudan ends by 2030, adding that the government will lead implementation programs supported by partners to improve access to critical services to achieve this ambitious goal.
It said that access to basic water supply in South Sudan has fallen from 41 percent in 2010 to 39 percent in 2020.
“During the same period, access to adequate sanitation rose from 7 percent to 14 percent, while open defecation fell slightly from 71 percent to 63 percent. For the first time, there is data on hand washing; only 22 percent of the population has hand washing facilities with soap and water in their homes,” it disclosed.
Hamida Lasseko, UNICEF representative in South Sudan, said that the water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in South Sudan greatly impact health, nutrition, education, protection and livelihoods of women and children.
“It is of great concern to UNICEF, and we are delighted to see this pledge by the government to address these challenges over the next six years,” Lasseko said.
Marjan Schippers, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to South Sudan, said that her government remains committed to continue supporting the water sector of South Sudan which started in the 1970’s.
She noted that partnership they have with UNICEF has enabled delivery of safe drinking water and sanitation services in Jonglei, Lakes, Western Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria States.
Catarina de Albuquerque, Chief Executive Officer of the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership, commended the government for signing the Compact, adding that it should be nurtured through partnership and nourished through the highest levels of investment for water, sanitation and hygiene.
In February this year, South Sudan hosted the WASH Joint Sector Review Conference in Juba, a significant gathering attended by over 400 local and international experts on water, sanitation and hygiene. This review culminated in a joint declaration that outlined the contents of the Compact.
