New WASH programme in Gaza

A new partnership with Secours Islamique France aims to increase access to water and sanitation for people displaced by the war in Gaza.

Over 1.7 million people have been forcibly displaced multiple times since the conflict began 15 months ago. The latest update from the Gaza health ministry and UN OCHA report at least 45,936 Palestinian people have been killed and 109,274 injured in the attacks.

Daily water access is estimated to be 2-9 litres per household, far below the emergency threshold of 15 litres per day. The fragile health system, vast destruction, displacement, and lack of hygiene and sanitary measures add to the risk of public health emergencies and disease outbreaks.

This new project aims to reach 18,000 households displaced in temporary tented camps and informal shelters. MENTOR’s activities will address urgent water and sanitation needs of displaced households in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis, helping prevent the risk of vector-borne, water-borne, and other communicable diseases.

Activities are expected to significantly reduce the number of diarrhoeal and vector-borne disease cases in the two areas and alleviate pressure on the over-burdened health system – they include:

·  Distributing safe drinking water via community distribution points to make sure each household receives 3 litres per person per day.

·  Faecal and domestic waste around IDP centres and camps will be identified and removed in partnership with communities, reducing the transmission of diarrhoeal disease.

·  The distribution of 36,000 spatial repellents will help protect 18,000 households from disease transmitting vectors. The spatial repellent tool remains effective for one year and is easily portable, making it suitable for transient populations.

·  Spatial repellents will also be distributed to health facilities to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

·  Improved medical waste management through the provision of specialised kits and training relevant staff will help enhance conditions for patients in health facilities.

Caption: A spatial repellent being installed as part of an earlier trial in Syrian IDP camps assessing the impact of vector control tools in humanitarian settings.