Since 2012, UNICEF Jordan Country Office has been playing an integral part of th...
Since 2012, UNICEF Jordan Country Office has been playing an integral part of the humanitarian response for Syrian refugees in Jordan. As WASH sector lead, UNICEF is leading the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene promotion assistance to the refugees in camps as well as in host communities, including schools and other institutions. Zaatari Refugee Camp is among the main locations where UNICEF is providing humanitarian WASH assistance which hosts more than 80,000 refugees.
In Zaatari refugee Camp, UNICEF is providing water at a daily average of 3,800,000 litres. This is provided through two boreholes operated within the camp, contributing about 65% of the daily supply, and number of privately owned external boreholes, contributing the remaining 35% of daily supply. Currently, water is being trucked from the boreholes to the distribution points but this arrangement is expected to cease once the water distribution network is completed by mid-2015. In addition to water supply, UNICEF is also supporting disludging services; dislodging on average 1,800,000 litres of sewage or waste water per day. This waste water is trucked to the Al Akeidar Treatment Plant, some 45km away from the camp. UNICEF is also supporting the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of some 370 communal WASH blocks in the camp, in schools as well as solid waste management in the camp.
While all the above activities are conducted by implementing partners, there has been significant bottlenecks regarding the effective service deliver by these partners. Although majority of the problems of quality service delivery are related to water supply, the other WASH components also present some major constraints.
Against this background, UNICEF put together an independent team to conduct daily monitoring of the major UNICEF supported service delivery projects in the camp, with the sole aim of improving the quality and effectiveness of the services provided. This structure has not only improved overall quality of results, but also enhanced a cordial relationship between right holders and duty bearers, particularly in the area of water supply. Based on this experience, UNICEF has decided to expand this monitoring structure to other WASH components it supports in the camp.