WASH life-saving intervention improving access to water and enhancing awareness on hygiene for the most vulnerable population of Eastern Rural Aleppo. The action aims at supporting the water management systems to ensure resumed access to basic water services to 7,317 ind. and increased awareness for  21.943 vulnerable resident population, IDPs, and returnees living in 27 villages in the Sub-Districts of Al Bab, Haritan, As Safira, Hajeb, Eastern Kwaires, and Al Khafsa. It intends to address urgent humanitarian life-saving needs in under-served areas of rural Aleppo, in addition to strengthening the communities’ resilience and self-reliance. 

More specifically, the project activities include: 
- Electromechanical equipping of one water pumping system located in Jeb Ghabsheh in Haritan Sub-district in Eastern Rural Aleppo. The station will create sustainable capacities in water service delivery to around  7,317 individuals in 7 villages. The electromechanical works are part of a larger infrastructure project being implemented by the Aleppo Water Board planned to reach around 50 villages with 60,000 individuals by mid-2022.
- Capacity building of at least 10 individuals of the Aleppo Water Establishment staff on water systems design, operations, and management.
- Promotion of good hygiene practices and awareness on water-borne diseases, integrating COVID-19 and menstrual hygiene awareness. The campaign will be designed with a tailored approach targeting  21,943 boys and girls, men and women, elderlies, and persons with disabilities residing in the areas benefiting from the pumping station by (i) conduction of a communication campaign through painting murals (“Talking Walls”), awareness video, and an SMS campaign (ii) organizing street theatre events and (iii) engagement events in schools targeting children.
- Distribution of Family Hygiene Kits including a component on MHM to 2,406 vulnerable households (12,030 individuals) in the selected communities.

The overall WASH condition of the selected areas will improve with the affected population having their access to water improved increased through the equipping of the water supply system. Integrated with a community-engaged and tailored hygiene and sanitation promotion campaign, the hygiene behavior of targeted age and gender-affected groups will positively change. The financial burden of accessing hygiene material for the most vulnerable households is relieved through the provision of hygiene kits. The action is therefore fully in line with the strategic objectives SO1 and SO3 of the 2021 HRP providing life-saving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance, in addition to increasing the resilience and self-reliance of the most vulnerable households with high severity of needs. The project is more specifically in line with the WASH sector’s objectives 1 and 2 and prioritized actions in communities.

The activities have been identified through a need-based assessment jointly conducted by WWGVC staff and line ministries’ personnel (Aleppo Water Board and DoE). In addition to referring to HNO 2021 and the WASH Sector-Specific PiN, the severity of needs, and priorities. Eventually, the intervention is also aligned with the UNCT Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19, and the Consolidated Planning and Requirements for COVID-19 Across Syria, contributing to prevent and mitigate the diffusion of the virus. The activities will be fully coordinated with the WASH, Education Sectors, and line ministries.

The activities are developed in line with the international guidelines and standards (e.g. SPHERE Standard, IASC Guidelines, INEE minimum standards, etc.). 

The intervention will be fully and directly implemented by WWGVC staff actively present in the identified area since 2014 with the support of SARC volunteers for the awareness sessions and distributions. Operations will be coordinated from WWGVC’s office in Aleppo.