For the forcibly displaced families in Mindanao, water is a scarce and precious resource. Recently, UNHCR helped with this need by providing safe, drinking water to more than 500 families in Marawi.
Every day, fathers would trek outside of town to fetch water for infant’s milk. Children would walk for hours carrying a few liters of water. Mothers would wake up before dawn so that they begin their journey to the reservoir.
For the forcibly displaced families in Mindanao, water is a precious and scarce resource. The water is required to meet the needs of hundreds of internally displaced persons living in evacuation centers and host communities. Yet even the water that they were able to gather is often not fit for consumption and would result in diseases, poor hygiene, and affected livelihoods.
But this scarcity was quickly addressed because of your committed support. UNHCR Philippines along with its partners has provided sustainable solutions for the internally-displaced. We have ensured that clean water flows to the shelters and communities of more than 500 people across Mindanao, satisfying one of the most basic needs.
In Marantao, two water tanks were supplied by UNHCR to ensure clean water for more than 70 families. Water pipes were constructed from the distant reservoir to the shelters in the community of Piagapo, and the village of internally-displaced persons is able to use this resource for drinking and cleaning.
While in Saguiaran, more than 500 persons were given assistance in the form of a water tank and repairs to the gravity system used for irrigation. UNHCR’s efforts not only aided in upholding their right to clean water, but also served as an improvement in the processes of their farming livelihood.
Thanks to your help, UNHCR was able to improve the lives of more than 500 families in Mindanao by providing them with free, clean water systems. With these solutions in place, these internally-displaced households no longer need to spend the little they have for potable water. Farmers and children don’t have to walk long, dangerous journeys to fetch pails and bruise their tired shoulders. The people now have access to proper hygiene for health as well.
Together with donors like you, we are working to rebuild their lives in safety and in dignity.
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