Scaling up of life-saving and preventative WASH assistance in 7 priority districts to control and stem the rapid spread of cholera in Al Hudaydah, Sa`ada and Ibb Governorates in Yemen. Save the children (SC) is proposing to implement a six-month emergency cholera response project which will significantly contribute to the containment and reduction of the spread of cholera and its related deaths in 7 priority districts (Zabid, Bayt Al Faqiah, Al Hali, Munnabih, Ar Radmah, Al Makhadir and Yareem) Hodeida, Sa’ada and Ibb Governorates through timely implementation of community-based WASH interventions.  

Since the beginning of 2019, over 109,000 cases of severe Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) and suspected cholera have been reported with 190 total associated deaths in 261 affected districts. Nearly 1/3 of the reported cases are children under the age of five years old. Without successful cholera preparedness and response action, there is great risk of rapid spread of cholera, impacting most vulnerable populations, especially women and children, and risking further loss of life. Cholera preventative WASH Action at the community level is hereby proposed in the target locations to curb cholera transmission by ensuring access to treated safe water and WASH Cluster standard basic hygiene kits without which the disease will rapidly spread. 

SC will conduct needs-based rapid Cholera WASH assessments case investigations and sanitary survey to define transmission context 91 water source/point mapping in the district and disinfect water points that have high risk for transmission with support of local authorities), train 245 (172 male 73 female) staff and community volunteers on WASH cluster SOPs, conducting rapid cholera assessments/sanitary surveys and key cholera messaging train 105 (74 male 35 female) staff and FRC monitors on regular chlorination of water sources and door to door campaign for chlorination of HH water storage tanks and water quality FRC monitoring train 84 water vendors on safe handling of water and cholera messages, and conduct 35 clean up campaigns and Cholera awareness sessions in 36 selected schools. 

SC will conduct cholera hygiene promotion sessions at the HH level, food distribution points, schools and individually for patients leaving DTCs and in schools to promote good hygiene practices at the community level on use of hygienic latrines, avoiding open defecation and hand washing with soap at critical stages and enhance case referral including information on already existing DTCs supported by SCI in these districts for Cholera treatment conduct 105 Jerry can cleaning campaigns and install 175 hand washing stations for schools, public markets and toilets. To enhance cholera response, SC will distribute WASH supplies and regularly monitor the activities. To ensure coordination with partners to avoid duplication and scale up impact, SC will conduct monthly coordination meetings with local authorities and cholera response partners, DHO, WASH and Health RRTs and the Hub Cluster teams and after action review meetings at district level to identify best practices / lessons.

From the various WASH consultations with partners working in high priority districts, with critical funding gaps and able to take on Lead, SC was selected to lead in 6 Zabid, Bayt Al Faqiah, Al Hali, Munnabih, Ar Radmah and Al Makhadir districts Tthe districts are covered by the Rapid Response Mechanism, SC has already ongoing WASH activities and the districts are served with DTCs and ORCs supported by SC which will ensure integration between WASH and Health. The case investigation data from the DTCs will provide essential data on individual cases and the probable contamination routes for the WASH team to follow up with response activities.

Limited access due to security incidents/road blockage and delayed procurement of WASH supplies may pose a risk to this Action. This will be mitigated through continuous security monitoring and providing up to date information on the security and access situations and essential supplies to be which have already been procured and prepositioned by UNICEF to be availed to SC.