UNICEF to provide safe drinking water for over 2.8 million Venezuelans

UNICEF has said that it will be working alongside the Ministry of Water to expand supplies of safe drinking water “through systems repair and extension, water-trucking and other alternative sources, strengthening of priority sanitation systems, and providing technical assistance and cooperation in water quality monitoring”.

Additionally, UNICEF plans on putting a large focus on training and disseminating information regarding “hygiene practices, water treatment and storage at the household level”, showing a desire for Venezuela to eventually become independent in the handling of all these matters.

“Access to safe drinking water is essential for the prevention of childhood diseases and reduction in child mortality across the world, including in Venezuela,” UNICEF Venezuela Interim Representative Hervé de Lys said in a statement, adding, “We are determined to make more efforts to improve children’s health in every household of even the most remote communities in Venezuela.”

This recent agreement comes after over 30 years of development with the South American country, UNICEF has said, a process which was greatly hastened in 2018 following the failure of Venezuela’s oil industry and near total economic collapse of the country, with inflation rising to at least 130,060 percent in 2018.

UNICEF has estimated that 3.2 million children are currently in dire need of assistance since the 2018 economic crisis, and the non-profit organization has been working diligently to remedy the situation.

“Since 2018, UNICEF has shipped nearly 200 tons of basic health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation supplies to Venezuela,” said UNICEF.

They go on to give a comprehensive breakdown of the other supplies and services they have provided, which included micronutrients, water, hygiene services, millions of doses of various vaccines, recreational material, ambulatory treatment for acute malnutrition, and psychosocial support for thousands of children and adolescents.

UNICEF closed by saying that continued donations will ensure the organization’s ability to scale up and get a grip on the situation in Venezuela.