The Technical Agreement was signed today between the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and UNICEF for the launch of the WASH-SUD Project – STRENGTHENING SANITATION SERVICES IN THE EASTERN STATES OF SUDAN.
The initiative, in line with SDG 6, represents an important step forward in addressing the sanitation sector challenges in Kassala, Gedaref, and Red Sea States, which have been severely affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The 36-month project, with a total budget of €6.55 million, aims to improve access to safe drinking water, promote the construction and rehabilitation of water services, and encourage hygienic practices for approximately 100,000 people in host communities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), with a particular focus on gender and environmental components. Through targeted interventions in 25 healthcare facilities and 25 schools in the localities of Sinkat, Refei Kassala, and Al-Galabat Al-Shargia in the Red Sea, Kassala, and Gedaref governorates, the initiative also aims to prevent open defecation by promoting awareness campaigns known as Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC).
“Since the outbreak of the conflict on April 15, 2023, Sudan has plunged into a dramatic situation: according to the latest UN data, around 26 million people need humanitarian aid, 19 million of whom have urgent needs in the WASH sector, not to mention the lack of clean water and the spread of diseases and infections. Italy, with this project, is at the forefront in Sudan to help communities and institutions provide concrete responses to the most vulnerable populations. The partnership with UNICEF is a tangible example of the value of international cooperation in addressing global humanitarian challenges,” commented Luca Rapone, Chargé d’Affaires a.i of the Italian Embassy to Sudan, temporarily based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
