The partnership between United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and Finland over the past five years has significantly contributed in increasing access to water and sanitation in Nepal.
Issuing a joint statement yesterday, the two partners informed that the 9.8mn euro Finnish-Unicef partnership, which started in 2011, has helped Nepal to achieve remarkable result. The partnership has assisted in increase of national sanitation coverage from 43% to 87% between 2010 and 2016, Xinhua reports.
“Twenty districts benefiting from this partnership have achieved open defecation free (ODF) status, which represents more than half of the total number of districts that achieved ODF status nationwide”, the statement reads.
To date, only 38 districts have been recognised as ODF districts.
The two sides further informed that the partnership will continue with a focus on four earthquake-affected districts of Dolakha, Kavrepalanchowk, Nuwakot and Gorkha.
Access to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene has been one of the major health challenges for the most vulnerable population, children and women, in Nepal.
Finnish-Unicef partnership has further focused on enhancing access to child, gender and disabled friendly water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools.
Earlier in March, the two parties had signed an agreement to co-finance recovery and reconstruction of WASH facilities in communities and schools affected by the
devastating earthquakes.