How do sanitation services and awareness campaigns save thousands of displaced families? – WATAN

How do sanitation services and awareness campaigns save thousands of displaced families?

Water is one of the most important human needs for living, and the need for it increases in the camps due to the harsh nature of their living. The drought and constant pollution in the camp are irresistible. Which creates an unhealthy and unclean environment for the life of the family and the health of its children.

As a radical solution, our teams have taken important steps since the beginning of last March, which has changed the health future of many residents of the region through several efforts and achievements:

1- Supplying sterile water through tanks

2- Removal of solid waste

3- desludging

4- Distribute baskets of personal hygiene

5- Periodic health awareness campaigns

6- Distribution of garbage containers

7- Employing workers to clean the bathroom blocks on a daily basis

8- Distribution of 1000 liter tanks

The project’s activity was not limited to providing tangible support, but periodic health awareness campaigns were organized to renew families’ awareness of the need to pay attention to hygiene controls and develop this among children. The project included a vast area that includes several camps (Apamia – Al-Baraka – Saed – Martyrs of the South – Al-Eis – Al-Burj – Al-Yamama – Al-Saleem – Jabal Al-Hoss – Ajyal – the old white – the new white – Al-Najma – Wadi Al-Ain – Al-Sahara gathering – Al-Musa – Shermagar – Al-Maqla – Al-Saqiya – Al-Youssef – Al-Dana – Kafr Losin – Babska – Sarmada – Batbo – Hazano – Kfardrian – Termanin – Burj Al-Nimra.

In order to continue to meet the urgent need to enhance the issue of hygiene, the work of the project was renewed regarding personal hygiene, which is one of the most important needs that requires immediate intervention in all areas to ease the burdens of the displaced.

The place is also witnessing an increase in a large number of families, which necessitated the presence of many private and public bathrooms, with the need to work on providing a clean environment to alleviate the burdens of the beneficiaries and provide a safe, healthy and stable environment.

Until the last month, the project was able to start the activities of water supply and solid waste removal, desludging for new suppliers that were approved to provide services, and waste removal that started on 05/21-2022 with the continuation of the work of the provider of unloading desludging that started on 12/04- 2022. Also, the per capita water allowance was raised to 40 liters per day.

The health awareness campaigns did not stop, as the number of beneficiaries during the month of August reached 1,330 directly and 6,375 indirectly, with the number of sessions reaching 130.

Also, the activity of community awareness workers continued in the targeted camps by giving health sessions. The number of beneficiaries of the sessions reached (6,296) beneficiaries of the sessions.

A new activity was also added, which is (Female menstrual hygiene promotion campaigns), where the total number of beneficiaries during the month of August reached (209).

Among the problems that were considered in the treatment of the situation is the problem of flowing water from domestic use to the roads, which leads to the formation of swamps containing a lot of dirt and diseases.

After the interventions, the camps witnessed a decrease in the spread of diseases, the arrival of sterile water to all families, and the reduction of financial burdens.

To ensure a better future, the humanitarian organization WATAN seeks to find serious solutions to provide means of hygiene for all the camps surrounding the area and to provide healthy living conditions for these isolated minorities and communities.

DECLINE