EU AND UNICEF DELIVER EQUIPMENT IN INHAMBANE

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union on Monday delivered equipment for the Water and Sanitation Programme (AGUASANI) in the towns of Homoine, Jangamo and Morrumbene, in the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane. The material consisted of vehicles, motorcycles and computer equipment for each town, and forms part of the total budget of AGUASANI of 11 million euros (about 13.7 million US dollars). The EU is providing 10 million euros, and UNICEF one million, under an agreement which the two organisations signed in February this year. The programme, scheduled to end in 2017, is aimed at providing effective and sustainable water supply services and decent sanitation to about 50,000 people living in the three towns Speaking in Inhambane city on Monday, the permanent secretary of the Inhambane provincial government, Fernando Campine, said the three towns will have sufficient water to meet the needs of their communities. He recognised that currently the level of access to clean drinking water in the towns is low. “Recently the indicator was that each borehole should supply water for 500 inhabitants”, he said. “But the indicator has changed, and now the effort of the government and its partners is for 300 people per borehole”.He urged the administrations in the three towns to make rational use of the equipment they have now received. The deputy representative of UNICEF in Mozambique, Michael Le Pechoux, said the AGUASANI programme could help reduce chronic malnutrition among children.“Sanitation is fundamental for reducing chronic child malnutrition and for the future of the country”, he said. Furthermore, when the programme is implemented, households will have better access to water, allowing children to dedicate more of their time to school work, since they will no longer have to spend hours fetching water. The head of EU Cooperation in Mozambique, Enrico Stampelli, declared that for the programme to achieve its goals, all the stakeholders, including the provincial government, should be involved and should work together.