Water and Sanitation In Humanitarian Crisis

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Water and SanitationIn Humanitarian Crisis

• Presented By Roy Hunt, P.Eng.
• Komex International Ltd.

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Outline

• Elements of a Humanitarian Crisis
• Humanitarian Crisis Response
• Importance of Water and Sanitation
• WatSan Intervention
• Case Study
• How to get Involved

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Elements of a Humanitarian CrisisVulnerable
Population

• Conflict
• Poor Governance
• Geographical Isolation
• Weak Infrastructure
• Lack of Disaster Response Planning
• Marginalized Groups
• Demographic Shift

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Elements of a Humanitarian CrisisCatastrophic
Event

• Conflict
• Pandemics
• Famines
• Natural Disasters

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Elements of a Humanitarian CrisisConflict as a
Catastrophic Event

• 300,000 people are killed each year
• Majority of deaths are civilian
• 10 Million International Refugees (2004)
• 25 Million Internally Displaced (2004)
• 70 to 80 are Women and Children
• Extended conflicts often neglected by media
• Myanmar, Columbia, Cote DIvoire, DRC, Indonesia,
  Iraq, Nepal, Chechnya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda

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Elements of a Humanitarian CrisisSetting

• Refugee Camp
• Hosted in Local Community
• Population in Disaster Area
• Population on the Move

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Humanitarian Crisis ResponseProcess

• Assessment
• Mobilization
• Program Design
• Implementation
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Transition

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Humanitarian Crisis ResponseImportant Aspects

• Population Assessment
• Site Planning
• Logistics
• Health Services
• Commodity Distribution
• Food and Nutrition
• Communication
• Transport
• Hygiene
• Water Sanitation
• External Liaison

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Importance of Water SanitationDeveloping
Countries - Causes of Death
Cause Deaths HIV / AIDS 2,678,000 Respiratory
Infections 2,643,000 Heart Disease 2,484,000 Dia
rrhoeal Disease 1,793,000 Cerebrovascular
Disease 1,381,000 Childhood Diseases 1,217,000 Mal
aria 1,103,000 Tuberculosis 1,021,000 Pulmonar
y Disease 748,000 Measles 674,000

• Communicable Disease
• Major Cause of Death in Disaster
• Directly Related to Poor Water and Sanitation

Source WHO 2001
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Importance of Water SanitationDiarrhoeal
Disease

• Intervention Effect
• ? Water Quality
• ? Water Quantity
• Hand Washing
• Latrines
• All Measures

EXCRETA
BARRIER
BARRIER
BARRIER
FOOD
MOUTH
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WatSan InterventionWater Supply Objective

• To provide safe and equitable access to a
  sufficient quantity of water to meet communal
  needs through effective source selection,
  collection, treatment, storage, and distribution.

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WatSan InterventionWater Supply Principles

• Give priority to quantity while respecting
  quality
• Directly involve beneficiaries
• Avoid the need to treat water (surface water)
• For high population concentrations, disinfection
  is absolutely necessary
• Secure a reserve supply and capacity to cover
  contingencies

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WatSan InterventionWater Supply Principles

• Account for variations in demand, quality, and
  supply
• Ensure equitable distribution
• When minimum survival needs cant be safely met,
  population must be moved
• Minimum survival needs
• 7 liters / person / day
• Increase to 15-20 liters as soon as possible

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WatSan InterventionSanitation Objective

• Control and manage excreta, solid waste, medical
  waste, dead bodies, and wastewater
• Promote best hygiene practice in to create a
  safer environment and minimize the spread of
  disease in a disaster affected area

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WatSan InterventionSanitation Principles

• Take fast action to prevent water supply
  contamination
• Swift provision of a basic system is better than
  delayed, improved systems
• Account for sanitation in site selection and
  design
• Technology should be as simple as possible
• Include continuous maintenance of facilities

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WatSan InterventionSanitation Principles

• Latrines best allocated on a family basis
• Refuse disposal arranged on a community basis
• Safely dispose of medical waste
• Burial arrangements are required from the start
• Provide vector control
• Preference for environmental measures over
  chemicals

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WatSan InterventionCommunity Participation

• Establish consultative and participatory
  structures and work within local structures to
  support and enhance their long term capacity.
• Essential when unfamiliar with customs and
  culture of those being assisted
• Make full use of resources
• Local Residents
• Skilled and Unskilled Labour
• Public Health Experts
• National Institutions
• Materials Technology
• Traditional Practices

Sudan Source ICRC
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WatSan InterventionIndicators

• The crude mortality rate is the number of deaths
  in a population due to disease, injury and
  malnutrition
• Specific causes of morbidity should be tracked
  for early detection of epidemics, and indications
  of inadequate water and sanitation

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Case Study Sierra Leone
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Case StudySierra Leone Civil War

• Civil war began with rebel incursions in in 1991
  and escalated through decade
• Majority of the population was displaced
• Cease fire signed in 2001
• Peace process included deployment of over 15,000
  UN peacekeepers
• Most of the upland areas remained in rebel
  control with no security or services

Peacekeeper Source BBC
Refugees Source www.sierraleone.org
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneBut Not All Bad
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneBut Not All Bad
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneBut Not All Bad
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneBut Not All Bad
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Case Study Sierra Leone

• Joined Medecins Sans Frontieres in 2001
• Completed Logistic and WatSan Training
• Posted to Magburaka, Sierra Leone
• After briefing, arrived at project Christmas Eve
• Nine month assignment
• High security risk

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Case Study - Sierra LeoneMSF In Sierra Leone

• 60 International Staff
• 500 National Staff
• Restoring Healthcare
• Mental Health
• Therapeutic
• Feeding Centers

Amputee Source BBC
Child Soldier Source BBC
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneTonkolili Project -
Local Situation

• Returnee population
• Medical facilities destroyed, abandoned
• High infant mortality
• High maternal mortality
• Recent shigella outbreaks
• High incidence of watsan related diseases
• Malaria
• Diarrhoea
• Respiratory Infections
• Parasites

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Case Study - Sierra LeoneProviding Primary
Health Care

• Support Large Hospital
• Pediatrics Maternity
• Emergency Surgery
• Lab Services
• Out-Patient Services
• Health Care in District
• Remote Locations
• Mobile Clinics
• Outbreak Intervention
• Mother-Child Healthcare
• Psycho-Social Support
• Population Monitoring

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Case Study - Sierra LeoneLogistics and WatSan

• Human Resources
• Communications
• Power Supply
• Rehabilitation
• Construction
• Supply Chain
• Purchasing
• Fleet Management
• Financial Control

• Water
• Base
• Medical Facilities
• Temporary Facilities
• Sanitation
• Latrines
• Vector Control
• Waste Disposal
• Wash facilities
• Training

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Case Study - Sierra LeoneMagburaka Hospital
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneMagburaka Hospital
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneSurgery
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneHospital Rehabilitation
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneAfter Hospital
Rehabilitation
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Case Study Sierra LeoneCommunity Health and
Hygiene Training
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneReconstructed Health
Outpost
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneProviding WatSan at
Refugee Transit Station
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Case Study - Sierra LeoneLatrine Construction
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How to get InvolvedInternational Organizations

• Many groups
• 1,000 in 1951
• 16,000 in 1990
• Differences
• Philosophy
• Area of focus
• Engagement
• Capacity
• Security

• International Confederation of the Red
  Cross/Crescent
• Medecins Sans Frontieres
• Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief
• Maintains a roster of emergency professionals for
  short term assignments with other agencies
• www.reliefweb.int
• Job posting site for INGOs

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Thank You for Your Time

• Questions and Discussion