Water and sanitation in crisis situations.

Transcription

1 Water and sanitation in crisis situations. Experiences in European contexts as seen during the migration and refugee crises during recent years Michalis Papageorgiou Water Health and Sanitation unit- Medecins Sans Frontieres, Operational Centre Brussels

2 Water Health and Sanitation (WHS) in Leger Uten Grenser (MSF) Water supply

3 Water Health and Sanitation in MSFwaste management

4 Emergency WHS interventions: MSF s Goals and minimum requirements for camps (water supply) Designed for acute phase of emergency Ensuring minimal volumes of water for surviving and basic dignity Ensuring min volume and quality of water for preventing acute health effects (diarrheal diseases, skin diseases etc)

5 Emergency WHS interventions: MSF s goals and min requirements for camps (Excreta management) Designed mainly for acute phase of emergency Aim to minimize open defecation Ensuring proper handwashing facilities (prevention of hand- to mouth transmittable diseases) Providing facilities that are safe for use by more vulnerable groups Providing minimum amount of dignity Aims for minimizing environmental impact

6 Emergency WHS interventions: Goals- minimum requirements for camps (Wastewater management) Infiltration as a first choice (if safe, legal and feasible)

7 Emergency WHS interventions: MSF s goals and min requirements for camps (household waste management)

8 MSF minimum requirements and classic strategy vs reality in European/ migrant context MSF minimum requirements Context characteristics Defined for acute stage of emergency Defined with rural tropical/ nonindustrialized contexts in mind Assuming affected populations residing in camp (semi) permanently Environmental impact considerations as per minimal safety standards, mostly from an acute health impact point of view MSF advantages Financially independent Used to taking rapid action Used to implementing (quick) technical solutions Familiar with most of the target populations (projects in countries of origin) Transient, highly mobile population (priorities in moving, no sense of ownership of facilities) Crisis finding place in European countries: well defined (but conservative) environmental regulations highly bureaucratic procedures No pre- existing scenario or recent experience involving refugees Some crisis locations (north Greece) prone to freezing Target population largely from urban middle class, used to standards similar to Europe (used to water always available, not always trusting emergency solutions) Target population was generally healthy, had good hygiene habits but was used to different facilities (squatting toilets, washing instead of using toilet paper)

9 Activities in the Greek context (2015-) Locations

10 Activities in the Greek context (2015-)

11 WHS Activities in the Greek context ( ) Scope of activities Aiming for preventative healthcare through: Support of med activities Ensuring of sufficient water quantity/ quality Provision of proper hygiene installations (incl maintenance) Minimization of impact of activities on public/ environmental health Site cleaning Vector control (mosquitoes, rats, cockroaches)

12 Specific activities- Support of medical Water supply/ wastewater disposal Implementation of hygiene and sanitation protocols Infection control procedures outside of med facilities (cleaning of tents in the event of scabies) Medical waste management Expired medicines management activities

13 Specific activities- direct support for Provision of toilets/ showers Water supply/ Wastewater management Cleaning (site, hygiene facilities and accommodation) Facilities maintenance (repairs, unblockings) Emergency preparedness beneficiaries

14 Water supply Water supply management options implemented: Extending of municipal network Maintenance of facilities to minimize leaks Financing municipal services for repairs Hiring of HR (plumbers) Water trucking Winterization measures to minimize water supply disruption Providing enough taps Providing of warm water

15 Provision of facilities Emergency facilities (chemical toilets, pit latrines) with handwashing capacity Semi- permanent facilities (pre- fab shelters) 1 toilet/ shower/ 50 beneficiaries (emergency standard) Indicative numbers Eidomeni: +/- 300 toilets, +/-100 showers Leros: 25 toilets, 15 showers

16 Provision of facilities Easy to clean Culturally relevant In accordance to local constraints

17 Wastewater management Wastewater management options implemented: Minimizing of wastewater flow by maintaining facilities Diversion of flow to existing municipal sewers Temporary storage and trucking to wastewater treatment plant (if sewer connection not possible) In case of greywater (handwashing and shower water) and rainwater, infiltration considered if location was far from existing boreholes and away from settlements

18 Wastewater management

19 Cleaning activities For hygiene facilities, general site, accommodation Heavy on HR management (min 16 hours presence/ day) Eidomeni: +/- 200 staff/ day Moria: +/- 80 staff day Dodecanese islands: 1-10 staff/ day Subcontracted and directly employed

20 WHS Strategy MSF niche: financially independent emergency response actor Provision of complete technical package as per adjusted minimum WHS requirements 2 steps response Acute step (covering of immediate needs with short term solutions) Optimization step Support/ pushing of other actors (gvt, NGO s, volunteers) Funding Tech support Setting up and handing over of activities

21 Challenges

22 MSF capacity stretched since: Toilets and cleaning toilets not a sexy subject (not enough funding, not enough agencies with technical knowhow) Not an obvious activity for some actors Result: MSF one of the 2-3 agencies able/ willing to carry activities Working with new materials/ practices Climate European technical standards vs needs of population in emergency Institutional challenges (respecting legislation vs. acute needs vs. political reality) Constantly changing context Start of emergency: mobile population February onward: stationary camps

23 Results Main Minimum hygiene standards ensured Impact to surrounding environment (and consequent health risks) significantly reduced Medical teams could focus better on other prevailing health issues (preexisting conditions and war wounds, respiratory illnesses etc) Functioning washing and toilet facilities provided to more vulnerable groups Secondary Water Health and sanitation brought forward on agenda Jobs and income to parts of local population By providing infrastructure: Authorities forced to acknowledge issue and take control smugglers largely pushed out of the game due to presence of authorities at camps partial formalizing of migration process Other NGO s could intervene easier

24 Thank you questions?