Liberia: Serious Water and sanitation Problem Still in Nimba County
…..Refugees, Host Communities Renew Appeals for Urgent Intervention – By: Augustine N. Myers – Nimba County, Liberia’s second largest populated County is still facing a seriously water and sanitation problem, despite efforts by the Liberian government and WASH partners to address the issues of safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene.
Nimba County with six political Districts, has a population of 462, 026 “according to a 2008/2009 report from the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo Information Services (LISGIS)”; a figure that has increased with the arrival of thousands of Ivorian refugees, most of whom are still residing in the County.
A recent assessment to the six Districts which include Gbehlageh, Saclepea, Sanniquelleh-Mahn, Tappita, Yarwein-Mehnsohnneh,Zoegeh, found out that there as a serious problem in the County as it relates to the lack of safe drinking water and improved sanitation.
Most of the Districts, especially those close to the border between Liberia and the Ivory Coast are still drinking untreated sources of water, and are equally engaged in the practice of open defecation, amidst unsanitary conditions.
- Fetching of drinking water from a small dug hole in the swamp in Nimba County
There are inadequate hand pump and latrine facilities in the County, thereby creating a serious problem for the residents and refugees who walk long distances in search of water at creeks and rivers, and use the bushes as toilets, on a daily basis.
Ninety percent of the hand pumps are broken down, while bush has over taken most of the locally constructed latrines due to the lack of proper maintenance, or basic neglect for facilities by some of the communities. Some residents and refugees are however refusing to use the latrines due to cultural or traditional believes and practices.
- Washing of cloths in a creak also used for cooking, drinking and bathing at the upper part
The residents and refugees also blame the breakdown of majority of the hand pumps(considered the most treated source of safe drinking water) to the huge population comprising host communities and refugees, and the failure of most Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to make periodic follow-ups or empower the people to maintain community projects.
By standard of the Liberian government and its local and international partners, 250 persons are entitled to one hand pump in a given community, something that is far from reality, as most of the areas(communities) visited in the six Districts in Nimba County lack the required number of hand pump and latrine facilities.
Some of the communities in each of the Districts have up to five thousand residents including close to one thousand refugees and only have between four to eight hand pumps, and between three to five latrines. Most of the pumps are down or are no longer producing enough water.
- Locally constructed latrine over taken by bush in Nimba County
Like Younlay in Gbehlageh District, it has a population of 5,551 residents and 524 Ivorian refugees, with only six hand pumps, while five is out of use. There are only two latrines in the area, but are not being used because they are over taken by grass.
The situation is said to be creating a serious health problem as there are reports of water-related diseases due to contaminated water that majority of the residents continue to drink. They often take the risk, especially the women and children walking long distances in search of water and in the forest to ease themselves.
Residents and refugees in Nimba County are meanwhile appealing for urgent intervention to address the serious water and sanitation problem, expressing fear that if nothing is quickly done, there might be a severe pandemic outbreak in the County.
- Rush for water in one of the communities in Nimba County
The assessment of the water and sanitation problem in Nimba County followed similar one recently carried out by the WASH Reporters and Editors Network of Liberia (WASH RENL), specifically on Ivorian refugees in that part of the Country.
The WASH RENL at the time reported of a worsening situation with respect to the lack of safe drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene experienced by most of the refugees and some residents.
Many of the NGOs and the Liberian government expressed serious concern about the plight of the refuges and assured that all would have been done to address the WASH situation in Nimba County at the time.
Up to press time, not much is been done as there are complaints on inadequate funding to address the huge WASH problem in Nimba and other parts of the Country.
There are policies, namely the National Integrated Water Resources Management Policy, and the Water Supply and Sanitation Policy approved by the Liberian government and partners in 2009, to ensure access to water and sanitation services.
Access to safe water and sanitation facilities remains extremely low in both urban and rural areas of Liberia. According to a data from the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) by the Liberian government, only one in four Liberians has access to safe drinking water, one in seven has access to adequate sanitation facilities such as toilets or some form of waste disposal, and only one in 20 practice safe hygiene behavior. According to the 2008/2009 census, this translates to an estimated 2.6 million people still without access to improved water supply, over 3 million people without improved sanitation and over 3.3 million do not practice safe hygiene behavior Liberia today, with a population of 3.6 million people.
According to the National Integrated Water Resources Management Policy, domestic water supply is a key area for improvement, designed to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
The Liberian government and partners have equally admitted that poor access to safe drinking water and sanitation services are major causes of illness and poverty, according to the Water Supply and Sanitation Policy.
It is often said that “water is life and sanitation is dignity”, but there are still many who are denied access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation in Nimba County, like other Counties in Liberia. Article 20 (a) of the Liberia Constitution proclaims that “No person shall be deprived of life”, and that the Liberia government is equally a signatory to the Declaration of Human Rights and other United Nations Declarations which seek to ensure that all human beings have the right to life and dignity. Among these rights are the rights to safe drinking water and to live in dignity, respectively.
Water Supply and Sanitation are closely linked to the efforts to achieve the MDGs, halving by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is a target of MDG 7. Water Supply and Sanitation is also a key input for the achievement of universal primary education and reductions in child mortality (MDG 2 and 4) and is directly linked to the eradication of poverty and hunger, the empowerment of women, improvements in maternal health and the reduction of diseases (MDG 1, 3, 5 and 6).
