COVID-19 Unicef WASH 2018-2021-2022

Results

The Goal Area 4 Global Annual Results Report 2021: The Narrative Report for year 2021 present the results both for year 2021, as well as for the entire UNICEF Strategic Plan period 2018-2021. Summary: The UNICEF WASH programme is among the largest in the world. In 2021 UNICEF reached 128 countries with WASH interventions. In each of these 128 countries, UNICEF provided support for government response programmes to COVID-19 either through emergency response or in support of strengthened WASH systems. This ranged from direct support for hand-washing facilities for school reopening campaigns and the construction of new water systems in communities, to technical support for national hand hygiene promotion programmes and strengthened hygiene-related policy instruments. In 2021 a total of 16 million people gained access to safe water services and 19,9 million people gained access to basic sanitation through UNICEF direct support. In 2021 UNICEF reached over 1 million persons with disabilities through direct support for WASH services. UNICEF WASH target for the Strategic Plan 20182021 was to reach 60 million people with water and sanitation services through direct support. With 69.9 million people gaining access to safe water supplies and 59.6 million to basic sanitation services, the target was achieved. The ongoing shift towards climate-resilient WASH continued in 2021. The goal is to fully integrate resilience in UNICEF WASH programming and highlighting the impact of climate change on WASH services and communities. UNICEF continued its work on strengthening national systems in 2021. This included the development of a sector-wide sustainability check tool, the launch of the WASH Regulation (WASHReg) approach to strengthen regulatory frameworks with partners, and the implementation of the WASH Bottleneck Analysis Tool (WASH BAT) in 52 countries from 2016 to 2021. Safe water supply: In 2021 a total of 16 million people gained access to safe water services through UNICEF direct support. UNICEF exceeded its 20182021 Strategic Plan target of reaching 60 million people with safe water services by almost 10 million people, reaching a total of 69.9 million people through direct support. Safe water services were provided in a total of 83 countries over the four-year period. 55 % of these beneficiaries (38.7 million people) were reached through development programming, with water services meeting the UNICEF "basic2" standard. The remainder were reached with durable water supplies in emergency contexts, which are sources that provide long-term service for people in protracted crisis situations and are different from short-term services such as water trucking, which are not included here (see the Emergency WASH section). Sanitation: In 2021 a total of 19,9 million people gained access to basic sanitation through UNICEF direct support. UNICEF reached a total of 59.6 million people in 20182021, just missing the outcome goal of 60 million people over the Strategic Plan period. This includes people reached through development programming (94 % of total beneficiaries over the four-year period) and people reached through humanitarian action with sanitation services that meet the JMP standard of basic sanitation of an improved facility not shared with other households. Through direct support alone, UNICEF has helped over 110,000 communities to achieve certified open defecation free (ODF) status over the 20182021 Strategic Plan period. Far more people are reached indirectly through UNICEF systems-strengthening support for national sanitation programmes. Hygiene: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hand hygiene among policymakers and the general public. UNICEF and its partners have used this momentum to build new partnerships, attract new funding sources and finance streams, and strengthen the national enabling environment for the promotion and support of hand washing in countries around the world. In 2021 UNICEF provided support for COVID-19 response through the provision of emergency supplies and facilities, or for strengthened WASH systems. UNICEF provided hand-washing facilities, soap and other hygiene items on a large scale in emergencies in many other countries and supports a wide range of initiatives to increase access to hand hygiene in schools and health-care facilities. In 2021 hand hygiene promotion was a focus area. UNICEF contributed to media campaigns in 93 countries and a total of 106 countries implemented national community-based programmes with UNICEF support (exceeding the Strategic Plan target of 78 countries). Community-based hand hygiene promotion programmes go beyond media campaigns, engaging directly with people in their communities, schools, health centres and homes. The UNICEF Three Star Approach to WASH in Schools with its focus on hygiene behaviour change is suitable for COVID-19 prevention and the promotion of safe school environments. The approach promotes incremental steps to improve WASH facilities in schools and has a strong focus on behaviour change through supervised group handwashing sessions. Emergency WASH: In 2021 a total of 33.3 million people gained or regained access to water services for drinking and hygiene through UNICEF humanitarian relief programmes and 8.4 million to sanitation services. This large-scale effort accounted for 49 % of the total 2021 expenditure on WASH. Over the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan period, emergency support reached an annual average of 38.8 million water beneficiaries and 9.5 million sanitation beneficiaries. UNICEF continues to act as the lead agency of the Global WASH Cluster, which was established by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the humanitarian coordination forum of the United Nations system. The WASH Cluster coordinates global humanitarian response, builds the capacity of institutions, trains practitioners, acts as a humanitarian WASH knowledge repository, provides advisory and technical assistance, and advocates for stable funding and more effective and equitable responses. In 2021 the Global WASH Cluster consisted of 86 agencies comprising United Nations agencies, international NGOs, academic institutes and donors. Climate-resilient WASH: In 2021 an estimated 6.1 million people gained access to climate-resilient water services through UNICEF direct support and 2.8 million to climate-resilient sanitation services, and constructed 1,523 solar-powered water systems. In 20192021, at total of 4,257 solar-powered water systems have been constructed. A total of 87 countries are now engaged in UNICEFs four-stage climate-resilience programme framework. The work on advancing climate resilience in country programmes is guided by the Strategic Framework for WASH Climate Resilience, a guidance package developed by UNICEF and the Global Water Partnership (GWP). Under the framework, climate resilience programmes advance through four levels of action, from assessing climate risks and identifying programming options to implementation and evaluation. The number of countries that have progressed through the assessment and design levels and are implementing climate options has increased from 15 in 2019 to 57 in 2021 (however, not meeting the ambitious Strategic Plan target of 80 countries). Climate-resilient WASH services often contribute both to mitigation efforts, especially the use of solar-power pumping systems, and to improve the adaptability of systems to the effects of climate change. Protecting sanitation systems from flooding and rising water tables is a significant technological challenge, especially in resource-poor communities. UNICEF engaged in climate policy formulation in programme countries, and was confirmed as a delivery partner for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness funding and highlighted WASH as a core climate issue at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). The shift towards climate resilience in its own programmes is also helping UNICEF to better support government partners to access the significant new climate-focused funding streams, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Adaptation Fund (AF). This includes support for building the evidence base on the need to include WASH as priority area with the two key climate instruments that are used by climate funds to assess the extent and cross-sectoral mix of funds at the country level: the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). UNICEF is now providing this support in more than 20 countries over recent years. WASH in schools: To help ensure the rights of children to education and to water and sanitation, UNICEF has been providing direct support to improve WASH facilities in schools for many years in support of WASH goals as well as education goals under Goal Area 2 and SDG 4. In 2021 UNICEF supported WASH in 4,274 schools in a total of 86 countries. 21,112 schools with gender-segregated sanitation facilities (separate for girls and boys) through UNICEF direct and indirect support during the Strategic Plan 20182021. Since 2007 UNICEF has reached over 210,000 schools in countries around the world. Starting with the 20182021 Strategic Plan, UNICEF focused its support on the construction of private, sex-segregated sanitation facilities in schools to improve the school experience for girls, to help them to continue to attend school during their periods and to reduce the risk of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). WASH in health-care facilities: UNICEF programming to improve WASH in health-care facilities contributes to WASH programming goals as well as health goals under Goal Area 1 and SDG 3. In 2021 at total 4,390 health-care facilities were reached with WASH services in 70 countries. Direct support in WASH facilities and services in health centres, reached a total of 16,699 health-care centres over the 2018-2021 period of the Strategic Plan. Menstrual health and hygiene: UNICEF menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) programming is a priority area under the UNICEF Gender Action Plan (both the 20182021 and the 20222025 Strategic Plans). 58,977 Schools were reached with menstrual hygiene and health services through UNICEF direct support during the Strategic Plan 20182021. Almost 5 million women and girls were reached with MHH services and supplies in emergencies (humanitarian relief efforts) in the period 2018-2021, of which 1.3 million in 2021. Analysis presented in the Narrative Report for year 2021: The UNICEF WASH programme is highly decentralized, with just 2% of expenditure and 3% of its over 700 staff at the headquarters level, with the rest at country or regional level. The most resources are in sub-Saharan Africa countries, with 41% of expenditure and 47% of professional staff. At current rates of progress, the world will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) targets by 2030, and the rights of all children and their families to safe water and sanitation will not be fulfilled. This is the overarching message of the WHO-UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene biannual progress update report of the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) on the status of water, sanitation and hygiene in households released in 2021. Nearly half the worlds population (3.6 billion people) lack access to safe sanitation, one quarter (2 billion) do not have safely managed water services, and nearly one third (2.3 billion) do not have a hand-washing facility with soap and water in their homes. The data show that achieving universal coverage by 2030 will require a quadrupling of current rates of progress in safely managed drinking-water and sanitation services, and basic hygiene. This is a massive undertaking that will require accelerated action by all stakeholders and significant new sources of financing and other resources. Its size, global reach and programmatic scope make the UNICEF WASH programme among the largest in the world. Nevertheless, even this large programme cannot meet the challenge of reaching SDG WASH targets on its own: significant increases in financing and accelerated efforts by an expanded group of stakeholders are the only way that targets will be achieved. Conclusion in Swedish: UNICEF är en av de största globala aktörerna som arbetar med WASH. Under 2021 så har UNICEF arbete resulterat i att 16 miljoner människor fått tillgång till säkert dricksvatten och 19.9 miljoner människor fått tillgång till fullgod sanitet (oftast latriner eller toaletter) och hygien (oftast genom handtvätt) för att slippa uträtta sina behov utomhus. Under organisationens hela strategiperiod 2018-2021 så har UNICEF arbete resulterat i att 69.9 miljoner människor fått tillgång till säkert dricksvatten och 59.6 miljoner människor fått tillgång till fullgod sanitet och hygien. Under 2021 har UNICEF försett 4,274 skolor 4390 sjukvårdsinrättningar med dricksvatten, toaletter och möjlighet för handtvätt. Under organisationens hela strategiperiod 2018-2021 så har UNICEF försett 21,112 skolor och 16,699 sjukvårdsinrättningar med dricksvatten, toaletter och möjlighet för handtvätt. Under 2021 har dessutom UNICEF försett 10,537 skolor med personliga hygienartiklar för bruk vid menstruation och relaterade hälsotjänster (på engelska: menstrual hygiene and health services). Under organisationens hela strategiperiod 2018-2021 så har UNICEF försett 58,977 skolor med personliga hygienartiklar för bruk vid menstruation och relaterade hälsotjänster. Under strategiperioden 2018 - 2021 hjälpte UNICEF över 110,000 samhällen att helt sluta uträtta sina behov utomhus, dvs att uppnått en certified open defecation free status. Övergången för att öka integrering av klimatresilience i UNICEF WASH verksamhet omfattar nu 87 länder. Under 2021 etablerade UNICEF 1,523 vattensystem som drivs av solenergi. UNICEF ger dessutom stöd till länder för att de skall kunna få tillgång till mer klimatinriktad finansiering så som FN:s Gröna Klimat fonden (GCF), den Globala miljöfonden (GEF) och Anpassningsfonden (AF).