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If solutions are not found and implemented immediately, more than 4 million people, including 1.5 million children, will face imminent water supply problems.
The prolonged crisis has posed great challenges to the industry, resulting in a significant decline in services. This is mainly attributed to the lack of budget required to purchase equipment, operating materials and spare parts for regular maintenance. Suppliers are also struggling to open bank credit in hard currency to import equipment from abroad.
Repeated attacks on the artificial river system have rendered about 190 wells unusable (Al-Jafara – Al-Hasawna and Al-Sirir-Tazarbo), bringing this important sector to the brink of collapse. The deterioration of the water pipe network has led to the loss of large amounts of water resources, with a loss rate of up to 50%.
In the sanitation sector, only 45% of households and institutions are connected to the public network, while the rest are connected to cesspools, which lead to the contamination of groundwater reservoirs. In addition, most wastewater is discharged directly into the sea without treatment, which has a negative impact on the environment and marine life.
Desalination plants lack the equipment needed for maintenance and the chemicals needed to keep them running, reducing their operational efficiency. For example, the Bomba Bay plant has completely stopped operating, leaving more than 63,000 people living in five cities on the east coast of Derna without access to safe drinking water. The plant’s repair is expected to cost $12 million.
This comes amid the current liquidity crisis, which has put additional pressure on households’ ability to afford to buy water by truck, thus increasing their financial burden. In addition, the remaining seven water plants that supply the cities of Abu Rabaa, Sousa, Derna, Tobrok, Zletin, Al Zawiya and Zwara are operating at only 28% of their designed efficiency. Without immediate intervention, they too will collapse.
The situation is exacerbated by frequent power outages and a lack of fuel to operate, all of which can lead to the collapse of the entire system and halt the delivery of water and sanitation services to vulnerable families and children.
Abdelkader Mousse, UNICEF Special Representative in Libya, said:
“UNICEF We call on decision-makers in the Libyan government and international organizations to prioritize the water and sanitation sectors. Urgently providing the necessary funds for maintenance will ensure the continuity of adequate water supply and sanitation services. Communities will be able to maintain healthy hygiene practices every day to limit the spread of the coronavirus, thus avoiding a humanitarian disaster that affects more than 4 million people, including 1.5 million children.“
(Source: UNICEF)
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