A healthy environment and adequate water supply play a key role in controlling the spread of many diseases, and help prevent epidemics.
For example, diarrhoeas are often caused by poor hygiene and water-borne pathogens, and are a major cause of death among displaced populations.
Water, hygiene and sanitation activities are essential for improving living conditions for refugees and IDPs.
An absolute priority is thus to offer the populations an acceptable quantity and quality of water as quickly as possible, as well as adequate basic sanitary facilities.
Provide clean drinking water
Distributing adequate amounts of clean drinking water is the sanitation and logistics teams’ first job, especially in emergency situations. Water needs are determined based on the size of the population, as are the logistics required for supply and distribution.
In an emergency, we should be able to provide at least 20 litres of water per person per day, enough for the refugees to drink, cook with and wash with under decent hygiene conditions.
In extreme emergencies, this minimum can be lowered to 5 litres, to cover the vital necessities for a limited, few-day, period.
(screen text: 5 litres of water/person/day in extreme emergencies)
The water must often be transported by tanker truck, but with the large populations being assisted, this means an enormous volume. Surface water, while the most accessible source of large quantities of water, is also the most polluted. Alternatives must be considered. In the medium term, we try to use groundwater obtained by drilling, by wells or catchment.
To make water accessible to the population, water points equipped with taps or hand-pumps are installed throughout the displacement sites or camps. We generally allow one tap for every 250 people.
To ensure good coverage, the distance to water points and the wait time should be short. Closed jerry cans, which are harder to contaminate than buckets, should be distributed as quickly as possible to every family for transporting the water and storing it at home.
Ensure water quality
Water quality must be checked daily for faecal contamination, which is responsible for most of the diarrhoea epidemics – like cholera and shigellosis – in emergency situations. Free residual chlorine, an indicator of water disinfection, must be monitored.
Sanitation teams use specially-designed“kits” to find water, render it safe to drink, store it and distribute it. The kits include motor pumps, hoses, flexible water tanks, water distribution ramps and consumables for water treatment by chemical decantation and chlorination, as well as tools for monitoring water quality.
Sanitation
For sanitation, the aim should be to minimise the dispersal of excreta, which is responsible for faecal contamination. In the early phase of a crisis, with a massive population influx, trenches should be dug and defecation fields established. Latrines should be built as soon as possible – one latrine for every 20 people.
Domestic waste water from bathing, cooking and washing up is collected by systems that channel the water to a “treatment” site to improve its seepage into the ground; the goal is to prevent standing water and insect breeding areas.
Disposal of organic waste is also important, because it attracts flies, rodents (which carry lice and fleas), and mosquitoes, which are vectors for diseases like malaria and yellow fever.
Waste is generally collected and burned in locations outside the site or camp.
In parallel with preventive sanitation measures, it is often necessary to distribute mosquito nets or use insecticide.
Improve hygiene
Hygiene awareness messages are disseminated, and measures that help cut disease transmission routes are encouraged.
These messages are simple recommendations like washing hands before eating and after defecating, but must also take the social and cultural habits and practices of the target population into account.
The trained awareness-raising teams should also explain the steps to follow in case of contamination, and especially how to recognise the early symptoms (of cholera, for example) and how to use of the free health care services provided.
Conclusion
Covering the water, hygiene and sanitation needs as quickly as possible substantially reduces morbidity and mortality among displaced and refugee populations.
For example, diarrhoeas are often caused by poor hygiene and water-borne pathogens, and are a major cause of death among displaced populations.
Water, hygiene and sanitation activities are essential for improving living conditions for refugees and IDPs.
An absolute priority is thus to offer the populations an acceptable quantity and quality of water as quickly as possible, as well as adequate basic sanitary facilities.
Provide clean drinking water
Distributing adequate amounts of clean drinking water is the sanitation and logistics teams’ first job, especially in emergency situations. Water needs are determined based on the size of the population, as are the logistics required for supply and distribution.
In an emergency, we should be able to provide at least 20 litres of water per person per day, enough for the refugees to drink, cook with and wash with under decent hygiene conditions.
In extreme emergencies, this minimum can be lowered to 5 litres, to cover the vital necessities for a limited, few-day, period.
(screen text: 5 litres of water/person/day in extreme emergencies)
The water must often be transported by tanker truck, but with the large populations being assisted, this means an enormous volume. Surface water, while the most accessible source of large quantities of water, is also the most polluted. Alternatives must be considered. In the medium term, we try to use groundwater obtained by drilling, by wells or catchment.
To make water accessible to the population, water points equipped with taps or hand-pumps are installed throughout the displacement sites or camps. We generally allow one tap for every 250 people.
To ensure good coverage, the distance to water points and the wait time should be short. Closed jerry cans, which are harder to contaminate than buckets, should be distributed as quickly as possible to every family for transporting the water and storing it at home.
Ensure water quality
Water quality must be checked daily for faecal contamination, which is responsible for most of the diarrhoea epidemics – like cholera and shigellosis – in emergency situations. Free residual chlorine, an indicator of water disinfection, must be monitored.
Sanitation teams use specially-designed“kits” to find water, render it safe to drink, store it and distribute it. The kits include motor pumps, hoses, flexible water tanks, water distribution ramps and consumables for water treatment by chemical decantation and chlorination, as well as tools for monitoring water quality.
Sanitation
For sanitation, the aim should be to minimise the dispersal of excreta, which is responsible for faecal contamination. In the early phase of a crisis, with a massive population influx, trenches should be dug and defecation fields established. Latrines should be built as soon as possible – one latrine for every 20 people.
Domestic waste water from bathing, cooking and washing up is collected by systems that channel the water to a “treatment” site to improve its seepage into the ground; the goal is to prevent standing water and insect breeding areas.
Disposal of organic waste is also important, because it attracts flies, rodents (which carry lice and fleas), and mosquitoes, which are vectors for diseases like malaria and yellow fever.
Waste is generally collected and burned in locations outside the site or camp.
In parallel with preventive sanitation measures, it is often necessary to distribute mosquito nets or use insecticide.
Improve hygiene
Hygiene awareness messages are disseminated, and measures that help cut disease transmission routes are encouraged.
These messages are simple recommendations like washing hands before eating and after defecating, but must also take the social and cultural habits and practices of the target population into account.
The trained awareness-raising teams should also explain the steps to follow in case of contamination, and especially how to recognise the early symptoms (of cholera, for example) and how to use of the free health care services provided.
Conclusion
Covering the water, hygiene and sanitation needs as quickly as possible substantially reduces morbidity and mortality among displaced and refugee populations.
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