Access to safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene practices for conflict affected and vulnerable communities in South Sudan This project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from waterborne diseases by increasing access to safe water, sanitation and better hygiene practices among the affected population in Unity State. 

Medair has been working in Leer County since January 2015, with a focus on coordinated nutrition and WASH programming. Although the program me was suspended due to insecurity, Medair is committed to reestablishing WASH and nutrition services in the county, and has resumed a static presence on the ground since December 2015. This project will address immediate life-saving WASH needs in a surge capacity, providing a foundation for future longer term WASH programming. The project will prioritise increasing access to safe water in Leer County, with particular emphasis on locations providing nutrition services given the close link between malnutrition and diarrhoeal disease. Depending on the security situation and movements of the affected population, the project may also serve other areas in the region in order to address the greatest needs. 

As access to many areas of the county has only recently been possible due to improved security, the project team will focus on assessing existing water points, repairing them when possible, and identifying nutrition program sites requiring an improved water supply (e.g. hand dug wells, surface water treatment systems, household water treatment systems, etc.). Installation of these safe water points (or distribution of household water treatment systems) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs and hydrologic conditions present. Water storage containers will be distributed to improve safe water storage and reduce the frequency of water collection.

Additional activities will be conducted to address the particular needs of the displaced population on the islands in the southern part of the county (surrounding Adok and Thonyor), where there are no existing safe water sources. Health programmes are currently implemented on Kok Island through MSF-H, who has highlighted the significant WASH needs due to overcrowding. A previous assessment and small distribution of point of use water filters was conducted on Kok Island in October-November 2015. Additional water filters will be distributed on the islands to provide a portable method for water treatment as more permanent water supply systems are not appropriate due to mobility of the population, and supply of chemical water treatment is not sustainable due to access constraints. The distribution will be accompanied by training on use and maintenance of the filters. A follow-up monitoring assessment will be conducted to provide refresher training and conduct a post distribution monitoring survey to evaluate filter use and perform random household water quality testing. Promotion of emergency sanitation strategies such as downstream defecation areas alongside environmental cleanup will be implemented on the islands to limit fecal contamination. 

Basic hygiene and safe water chain messaging will be provided in parallel to the water and sanitation interventions through training of short-term hygiene promoters in each community. Promoters will be trained for a target ratio of 1:250 people and provided a non-monetary incentive (e.g. soap) to disseminate hygiene promotion at the household level. These activities will be transitioned into longer term hygiene training and promotion, implemented through existing OFDA-funded programming.