The United Arab Emirates (UAE) driven humanitarian initiative, Beyond 2020, has improved access to safe drinking water for 9,000 people in three rural villages in the Southern Region, according to Zayed Sustainability Prize.
Six shallow wells with solar pumps have been installed in Walessa, Holte, and Gato villages of Derashe district, reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases and improving overall health.
UAE Zayed Sustainability Prize Director-General, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said Beyond2020 and its partners are delighted to have been able to improve the livelihoods of the communities by providing them with access to this essential resource.
According to him, this deployment in Ethiopia is a perfect example of how we can create meaningful change and address the urgent issues posed by climate change when we come together.
“We must continue acting in solidarity as we strive towards a future where safe water is accessible to all,” the director-general underscored.
The villages of Walessa, Holte, and Gato are in the low land areas where drinking water is scarce and community members in all three villages were dependent on unsafe water sources, including surface water harvested from rain and nearby open rivers to meet their drinking, cleaning and cooking needs that led to high rates of waterborne diseases.
Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa thanked the Beyond2020 initiative, its partners, and the UAE government for supporting the efficient installation of a clean water source to improve the lives of thousands of people in the villages.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency