Headlines: UNICEF’s regional advisor meets key Afghan WASH Gov’t partners ... page 1 Inauguration ceremony for handover of 23 water supply networks ...page 2 National Rural Water Supply, Sanitation & Irrigation Program Participation of Afghan Delegate in Water Week held in Washington DC ...page 3 Monthly Newsletter Two water supply projects handed over in Nangarhar province ... page 4 April-May, 2019 No: ( 1 ) Date: Saturday , June , 01 , 2019 Page: ( 1) UNICEF’s regional advisor meets key Afghan WASH Government’s partners Therese Dooley, UNICEF’S Regional Adviser for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in South Asia, had a meeting with Afghan key WASH partners in the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). The gathering, which took place on May 21,2019 was attended by senior WASH employees from MRRD, Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Ministry of Education (MoE) and UNICEF Afghanistan. The aim of the meeting, as it was stated by Therese Dooley, was to look into Afghanistan WASH programs, see its progress and make sure that the programs were in line with UNICEF’s goals and targets. Explaining the WASH program by the national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Program (Ru-WatSIP) of MRRD, Dr Mohammad Javed, Head of Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Unit, stated that Ru-WatSIP has been coordinating the Afghan Context Community-Led Total Sanitation (AC CLTS) approach in the rural areas of Afghanistan because this approach proved effective in halting Open Defecation (OD) practice and getting people to owning and using latrines compared to the former subsidy-driven approaches. He mentioned that so far over 5,000 villages and 15 districts have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the country. In the upcoming year, Dr Mohammad Javed promised that 30 other districts would be made ODF, as well as a National Sanitation Strategy, would be developed. representatives of MoPH also explained its WASH program in the country. Presenting MoPH’s WASH program, Dr Azizullah Safi admitted that MoPH was leading the Hygiene Technical Working Group (HTWG) and providing public health-related guidelines and papers. He added that MoPH was implementing the CLTS approach in four provinces of the country, and that it had made as many as 582 villages as ODF since start of the program. In addition, MoPH was implementing WASH in health centers in five provinces. lastly, MoE presented its WASH program in the meeting. www.ruwatsip-mrrd.gov.af Facebook/National Rural Water Supply Sanitaion&Irrigation Program Twitter/Ru-WatSIP Flicker/photos/108133295@N07/ Geophysical Survey in Karukh District of Herat Province A team of hydrogeologists of the National Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru-WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) kicked off conducting the geophysical survey in “Sharak Sabz” and “Regreshan” camps in Karukh district of Herat province. The aim of this survey, which began yesterday, is to check if adequate aquifer are available for the provision of durable water supply projects for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) settled there. Due to drought over the past years, several IPDs have been relocated from Badghis, Ghor, Faryab and some districts of Herat province to these camps. If an appropriate aquifer is found there, solar- powered water supply networks have been planned to be constructed, so that the large expenditures on water tankering is avoided. Inauguration ceremony for handover of 23 water supply networks in Herat province The National Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru_WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) accomplished and handed over a total of 23 water supply networks, funded through the State budget of Ministry of Finance (MoF) and USAID Afghanistan funded through UNICEF Afghanistan in different districts of Herat province. During the induction ceremony which was held on May 2019 ,3, Dr. Mohammad Daud Hashimi the Acting Governor of Herat province, Engineer Ghulam Qader, Executive Director of Ru-WatSIP/MRRD, Haji Mohammad Sediqi the Provincial Rural Rehabilitation Director of Herat, Engineers, Elders and community people have been participated and presented their contentment for completion of above-mentioned projects. The project cost is 68 million Afs, and with completion of this projects, around 60,000 persons got access to clean drinking water. No: ( 1 ) Date: Saturday , June , 01 , 2019 Page: ( 2) Participation of Afghan Delegate in Water Week held in Washington DC Engineer Ghulam Qader, the Executive Director of national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru_ WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) attended the Water Week conference which was held from 31st March- 5th May at Washington DC - United States of America. The conference aimed to get familiar with new strategy of World Bank for Water Sector. The developed strategy presented by General Director of Water Sector and included the three aspects: 1- Maintenance and sustaining of water sources, 2- Water supply services 3- Approaches and activities which should be adaptable with environment in water sector. During this visit, Engineer Ghulam Qader, met with Water Sector Manager of South Asian Countries of World Bank, in which it was decided that Afghanistan should develop a national strategy for Water and Sanitation which should include both urban and rural areas. Engineer Ghulam Qader, has also met with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and discussed about an ongoing USAID funded project through UNICEF which is implemented by Provincial Rural Rehabilitation Directorate. The implementation of this project is going on smoothly which costs more than 30 million USD and will be ended by end of 2020. Since the project progress was satisfactory and it was of high quality, therefore, the USAID committed to pay an additional of 30 million USD for Water Supply and Sanitation projects to be implemented in the rural areas of the country. A drinking water supply network handed over in Paktia province With the total outlay of 1.6 million AFN, funded by UNICEF, a solar-powered water supply network has been recently completed and handed over in Fazal Rahman 40-Bedded Hospital in Samkani district of Paktia province. With the completion of this network, the hospital which did not have access to clean drinking water was provided with potable water. The project was implemented by “Saqi Khel” Community Development Council (CDC) through the national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru-WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). A solar-powered water supply network handed over in Kunar With the total outlay of 3,553,758 AFN, funded by Ministry of Finance (MoF) through State budget, a solar-powered water supply network has been recently accomplished and handed over in “Khadi Khail” village in Sawkai district of Kunar province. With the completion of this project, around 300 families got access to clean drinking water. The project was implemented by “Khadi Khail” Community Development Council (CDC) through the National Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru-WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). No: ( 1 ) Date: Saturday , June , 01 , 2019 Page: ( 3) Two water supply projects Ru-WatSIP provide sanitation, drinking water facilities handed over in Nangarhar for Accelerating Learning Center in Paktia province With the total cost of (1100,000) AFN, funded by UNICEF Afghanistan, the national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru_WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation With the total outlay of 2,8 million AFN, two and Development (MRRD) constructed seven drinking water wells and six safe latrines for solar-powered water supply networks have Accelerating Learning Centers (ALCs) in Samkani district of Paktia province. been recently completed and handed over in With the completion of this project around 350 students of ALCs are being benefitted from these “Toor La La” village of Door Baba district and latrines and wells. The project was implemented by “Tooshi Wati” Community Development “Mirzayan” village of Sorkh Roud district of Council (CDC) in four months. Nangarhar province. These projects were executed through the national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru_WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). With the completion of these projects, around (200) families in “Toor La La” village and over (20) families in “Mirzayan” village got access to clean drinking water. A solar-powered water supply network handed over in Herat province With the total outlay of 3,453,280 AFN, funded by UNICEF Afghanistan, a solar-powered water supply network has been recently accomplished and handed over to people’s exploitation in “Mahal-e- Bala Ghonjan” village in Ghoryan district of Herat province. The project was implemented through the national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru_WatSIP) of Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation (MRRD). Creating around 150 working days, with the completion of this project, over (300) families, two schools - girls and boys- with around 3000 students got access to clean drinking water A solar-powered water supply network handed over in Sari Pul province With the total outlay of 2,072,467 AFN, funded by Ministry of Finance through the State budget, a solar-energy-operated water supply network