ReliefWeb

FOCUS: WASH/IPC

HIGHLIGHTS

• UNICEF continues to scale-up and deliver life-saving support to address humanitarian needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on improving people’s access to clean water, appropriate sanitation facilities and services and hygiene, which continues to be one of the best frontline defenses against the virus.

• Over 73.2 million people reached with critical WASH supplies (including hygiene items) and services in 118 countries, while 3 million healthcare facility staff and community health workers have been trained in infection prevention and control (IPC).

• Over 2.3 million schools are implementing safe schools protocols that include WASH standards to ensure safety and wellbeing of children returning to school.

• UNICEF has continued to promote the importance of WASH across programmatic interventions, through, for example, providing guidance and tools on how to breastfeed and support infant and young children feeding while following hygiene and IPC practices.

• UNICEF developed training materials to equip WASH actors on how to address the needs of women and girls in WASH programming. UNICEF is supporting governments to expand the coverage of social protection programmes, which include expanding water service provision to highly vulnerable populations