Unicef to expand safe drinking water, sanitation facilities

Unicef expressed its commitment to mobilise additional resources to expand safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for larger section of the flood victims.
These commitments were made in the meeting held between Anthony Lake, Executive Director/Under Secretary General Unicef and Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi here on Monday to discuss joint efforts in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and Unicef to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the people affected by the current devastating flood across the country.
Environment Minister informed Lake about the magnitude of the unprecedented floods, which caused one of the largest humanitarian crises ever-witnessed by Pakistan. While briefing Lake, Minister said that more than 18 million people across the country have been affected. Moreover , 1.237 million houses, 6.248 million acres of crop land and 140,000 livestock destroyed. Minister further appraised that Ministry of Environment is the focal Ministry for Unicef in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene.
He further said that Ministry and Unicef signed Annual Work Programme to jointly pursue interventions for improving water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in the country in association with other stakeholders. Minister informed that since 2005 commendable achievements have been made and the Ministry in collaboration with Unicef has prepared National Sanitation and Drinking Water Policies and Provincial strategies and Action Plans for their implementation and supporting establishment of Water and Sanitation Directorate in the Ministry for implementation of a co-ordinated programme in the water and sanitation sector.
Afridi acknowledged Unicef's support in the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities during emergencies especially, in the camps established for housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) along with the Ministry of Environment under Tahaffuz Programme as well as in the meeting emergencies of displaced persons at Attabad and Hunza landslide.
Minister also acknowledge and highlight Unicef's support to the Ministry of Environment through Water, Environment and Sanitation Programme and School Sanitation Programme for addressing drinking water and sanitation issues in the country. Earlier, Anthony Lake discussed about Unicef's key emergency interventions of providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the flood effected population.
He also exchanged his views about Unicef's activities to mobilise additional resources to expand the safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for larger section of the affected people. Likewise, different ways and means were discussed to further enhance the existing collaboration with the Ministry of Environment in responding to current emergency with regard to water and sanitation.