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Emergency Trust Fund for Africa
  • News article
  • 30 March 2020
  • 1 min read

Ensuring access to clean water to promote health for communities in Sabha, Libya

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IOM

Libya is among the most water scarce countries in the world. The South of Libya relies heavily on water wells to secure water for local communities.
Health and environmental conditions in Sabha have been affected by an incomplete wastewater system, as well as by random dumping of solid waste. Communities in Sabha have suffered for years from waste water leakages, leading businesses to close and people to flee their homes.

To overcome the burdens on community members, to mitigate the adverse health and environmental impacts and to contribute to the improved quality of life, the EU together with its partner IOM has supplied the General Water and Waste Water Company (GWWC) in Sabha with waste water pumps for the main sewage system under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. Recently, the director of GWWC received additional tools in the presence of municipal and community representatives: “With the pumps and tires, we can work faster and run more shifts with the sewage trucks. That way we can cover more areas in the city, keep waste water rooms clean and help avoid streets flooding with black water. We know the effect of black water; we do not want what happened before to happen again”.

These much-needed pumps have improved access to waste water services for almost 110,000 inhabitants. Living conditions have also been improved through the removal of solid waste and the creation of a public green zone in the Karama area in Sabha.

Given the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the EU is determined more than ever to continue to ensure that local communities have access to clean water so that they can meet their basic needs and adopt positive hygiene behaviours.

Details

Publication date
30 March 2020
Region and Country
  • Libya
Thematic
  • Improved migration management

Programmes in the region