Ethiopia Needs $650mn to Attain Universal Sanitation; UNICEF Says

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that Ethiopia needs $ 650 million to attain universal sanitation coverage.

“It is possible that Ethiopia can achieve the universal access to sanitation provided the country’s development partners play their part. An estimated US$650 million is required to attain universal coverage in Ethiopia,” UNICEF said.

The announcement for this huge amount of money was made while the country commemorated on the weekend this year’s International Water Day while the government promised to do its best to achieve the goal.

UNICEF said attaining the universal access to sanitation required concerted efforts by all stakeholders beyond the traditional health and water sectors, including agriculture, education, the private sector, and the media in Ethiopia where over 35 million people are said to live with poor access to clean water facilities.

Donors, in particular the African Development Bank, the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) are also playing their part, as over US$ 50 million has been pledged in the coming years for sanitation and hygiene, according to UNICEF.

“UNICEF calls on all donors to invest in achieving sustainable access to improved sanitation which is essential for the realization of human rights, health and dignity,” Bjorn Ljungqvist, UNICEF Country Representative in Ethiopia said.

Sanitation is the theme for this year’s World Water Day and aims to highlight the need for urgent action on behalf of the more than 40 per cent of the world’s population who continue to live without proper sanitation.

Though more than 1.2 billion people worldwide have gained access to improved sanitation between 1990 and 2004, an estimated 2.6 billion people including 980 million children have yet to be reached, according to UNICEF.

Source African Press Agency

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