Malteser International Annual Report_E

According to the United Nations, more than 80 percent
of countries have insufficient financial resources to meet
their national water, sanitation and sanitation targets. In
addition to the unavailable funding, there is often a lack of
technical know-how to independently develop central
water supply and reliable sanitation systems.
Arno Coerver is
our Global WASH
Advisor and helps
our project regions to
implement strong and
sustainable WASH
(water, sanitation and
hygiene) programs
Dirty water can be deadly to Children
Every day, 700 children under the age of five die from preventable diseases
linked to unsafe water.
à People urgently need clean water, sanitation and soap to stay
healthy.
SOURCE: UNICEF, 2018
How does Malteser International contribute to better
water supply and sanitation for people in need?
AC: We are primarily concerned with people who are
least able to help themselves; children, women, elderly
people, people with disabilities and refugees. Much of our
work is technical in nature. We develop new water supply
systems for people in need and rehabilitate existing ones.
These include boreholes, taps, and rainwater harvesting
systems. In Haiti for example, we just completed the construction
of a latrines and an aqueduct for disadvantaged
communities in slums. This technical part is complemented
with ‘soft’ measures, such as training on good hygiene
and maintenance of the water supply systems.
Improving access to safe water and sanitation facilities
leads to healthier families and communities. However,
knowledge of good hygiene practices is equally important
to maintain a healthy life. For many poor people,
some hygiene practices may be unfamiliar. That is why
we engage in effective hygiene promotion. For instance,
we are cooperating with schools to integrate hygiene
education into their lessons. We also work with the
German Toilet Organization, which has produced great
resources for hygiene education. We are supporting the
gradual implementation of strategies designed to improve
water supplies, sanitation and hygiene in schools by using
the “Fit for School” approach designed by the Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Do you reckon the global community will reach its
WASH sustainable development goal by 2030?
AC: The goals are indeed ambitious and require constant
efforts from all sides. But we are making important
progress from year to year, and that is something
that makes me feel positive.
Malteser International constructed more than 30
solar-powered water pumps and distribution systems
in settlements across northern Uganda, reaching over
120,000 South Sudanese refugees and their host communities
with clean water. These systems were handed
over to maintenance committees in the settlements.
In Nigeria, we are providing
people displaced
by the Boko Haram
conflict with clean
drinking water.
PHOTO: EMILY KINSKEY
Water and Sanitation Inequality
• 2.1 billion people around the world do not have access to clean water
• 4.5 billion people have no access to sanitation
• 73% of people in the least developed countries do not have soap
à Malteser International is working to achieve #Water4All
SOURCE: UNITED NATIONS, 2018
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