This paper aims to evaluate the impact and appropriateness of Norwegian Church Aid's WASH program in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps of South and West Darfur, and to provide recommendations for operating the program with a reduced budget in the future. The program targets mainly IDP populations and nearby host communities, supplying water through motorized systems, open hand dug wells and hand pumps. Construction and rehabilitation of latrines along with promotion of personal hygiene practices comprise the sanitation component. The expulsion of many NGOs from Sudan in 2009 caused added difficulty for the program, thus the evaluation considers the role of challenging political conditions like this in planning for continuity and responsibility.
- Kind of study: document review; site observation; analysis of health statistics; and discussion with focus groups, community individuals, water point caretakers, UNICEF, NCA staff, and community volunteers
- Timing of Study: May-June, 2010
- Average water consumption in Zalingei, Nyala, and Garsilla was above the minimum 15 liters per person per day in 2010, though a large percentage of the population consumed less than this amount.
- Internally displaced people generally have much better access to water in the camps than they had in their pre-displacement homes.
- People in IDP camps visited in Zalingei showed widespread preference for chlorinated water and about 40% reported using some form of household water treatment.
- Hand pumps and piped networks generally supplied sufficient water access. People also bought water from donkey carts, which was almost always used for purposes other than drinking.
- High fuel requirements of centrifugal pumps were a concern, along with the deterioration of UV-sensitive pipes that caused some leaks.
- Solar-powered systems could not be evaluated in this time frame, but it is very likely that at least the short term benefits of reduced operating cost and increased continuity they provide are significant.
- Transferring ownership of systems from NCA to water committees would offer the best chance of continuity; but challenges would include making spare parts available locally and conflicts related to the IDPs being only 'temporary' communities.
- 86% of households in camps with NCA sanitations programs used a latrine, though open defecation took place in all camps particularly among new arrivals. Top reasons for not using or having a latrine were rocky soil and cost.
- 62% of those surveyed reported regularly washing their hands before eating, while 45% washed after defecation.
- The evaluation recommends creating accurate maps where not available to assess walking distance to distribution points and plan the location of new boreholes.
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- Copyright 2010 Norwegian Church Aid.
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Geography
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