As we enter the second half of 2024, we bring you a rich and diverse array of news, key updates, and events from GWC CAST, National Coordination Platforms (NCPs), GWC members, and partners such as UNICEF, OCHA, USAID, Water by Women, Rural Water Supply Network, and the UNC Water and Health Conference.
Under-resourcing and attacks against water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure have exposed people to a heightened risk of disease. In OCHA's Global Humanitarian Overview Mid-year 2024 update, the GWC reported that more than 100 million targeted people (42%) globally have not received WASH assistance due to underfunding and attacks on infrastructure. For example, in Afghanistan, insufficient funding has led to a surge in acute watery diarrhea/cholera cases in high-risk areas, with over 26,500 cases in the first quarter of 2024, mainly affecting children under five.
To respond to this, humanitarians in WASH worked intensively to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene services are available and accessible even in the most remote areas. Some 15 million people were reached with immediate WASH assistance in 28 countries. Among these is Ethiopia, where over 1.1 million people received safe drinking water and nearly 80% of them benefited from durable water solutions from WASH Cluster partners (GHO Midyear 2024).
Other highlights featured this month:
- Recently-concluded WOCL training in Dakar
- NEW ICSC statement and resource
- NEW webinars from the GWC Working Groups
- FST deployment in Gaza; FST job opportunities
- NEW solid waste management dashboard for Cox's Bazar
- NEW funding opportunity for WASH research and capacity-building
