WASH News MENA
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Tunisia: National Sanitation Utility (ONAS) starts international operations
12 Apr 10
Under the patronage of, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, ONAS signed a partnership agreement with the enterprise “ Ajroudi Investment” on 27 March 2010 concerning the setting up of ONAS International.ONAS International will conduct studies and operations on behalf of environmental institutions (master plan studies, engineering studies), It will also provide technical assistance, [...]
Arab states urged to be open on water scarcity
02 Apr 10
People in the Arab world need fuller and freer information about shrinking water supplies but their governments are withholding it for fear of fuelling unrest, a United Nations expert said on Thursday, 1 April 2010.Arable land makes up just 4.2 percent of the Middle East and North Africa and is expected to shrink due to [...]
Middle East: experts say more cooperation needed to face water crisis
31 Mar 10
Water experts called for greater coordination and sharing of information among Arab countries to tackle the challenge of water scarcity and the threat of climate change.During a one-day seminar on 30 March 2010 on water security in the Arab world, experts from Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and other countries discussed means to deal with the current [...]
Egypt: fishing in the sewer
04 Jan 10
Pollution and overfishing have decimated Nile fish stocks.The vast majority of Egypt’s 80 million inhabitants live along the banks of the Nile. The river, which enters the country near the southern city of Aswan, flows 1,300 kilometres before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea near Alexandria.“You can drink the Nile near Aswan, but by the time [...]
Corruption blamed for deaths in Jeddah flooding
08 Dec 09
After only a few hours of heavy rain last week, the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia was victim of severe floodings which resulted in over 100 deaths according to the official report and more 500 deaths according to Guardian writer Ali al-Ahmed. Corruption in the water system has resulted in many years of mismanagement [...]
Syria, Salamieh: UNICEF and the Embassy of Denmark launch refurbished water plant in drought affected district
03 Dec 09
Syria is experiencing a severe drought that is jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of families. After a second straight year of poor rainfall, this country in the heart of the fertile crescent is, in places, becoming barren.The supply of potable water is also dwindling, particularly in regions that rely on well water.In response, the UN [...]
Yemen: thirsty plant dries out country
03 Nov 09
More than half of Yemen’s scarce water is used to feed an addiction.Even as drought kills off Yemen crops, farmers in villages like this one are turning increasingly to a thirsty plant called qat, the leaves of which are chewed every day by most Yemeni men (and some women) for their mild narcotic effect. The [...]
Israel rations Palestinians to trickle of water, Amnesty International
27 Oct 09
Amnesty International has accused Israel of denying Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies.These unreasonably restrict the availability of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and prevent the Palestinians developing an effective water infrastructure there.“Israel allows the Palestinians access to only [...]
Iraq: Drought ‘forces 100,000 from homes’
23 Oct 09
Not war but drought has forced more than 100,000 people in northern Iraq to abandon their homes since 2005, with 36,000 more on the verge of leaving, says UNESCO.The four-year drought and excessive well pumping have led to the collapse of an ancient system of underground aqueducts, or karez.Only 116 of 683 karez systems are [...]
Azerbaijan: ADB to Extend $600 Million Urban Services Investment Program
23 Sep 09
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will extend up to $600 million in loans to Azerbaijan for water and sanitation improvements in towns that have suffered from decades of neglect and underinvestment in infrastructure.The Board of Directors today approved a multitranche financing facility that will release loans periodically to support the Government of Azerbaijan’s Water Supply [...]
