Memories from Syria and Yemen
Being responsible for UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme in the Middle East and North Africa region, I’ve served in many countries affected by conflict. These include Syria,...
View ArticleBorn into clean, safe hands
Youssouf was born in a clean and safe environment in Koumantou, Mali — one of the top 10 countries with the highest neonatal mortality rates in the world. Access to clean water at the community health...
View ArticleMen must talk, even if it makes us uncomfortable
Sharing the picture below on the internet makes me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Not because I am uncomfortable with the topic. As a communication officer at UNICEF India, I have been creating...
View ArticleUsing data to end open defecation in Cambodia
Every child deserves to grow up in a clean and safe environment. In communities where open defecation is practiced, children are at risk of disease. Newly released data confirms that Cambodia has made...
View ArticleIn Basra: Oil in abundance, but little water to drink
Iraq’s southern city of Basra was once a thriving port city. In its heyday, it was described as the “Venice of the east” due to the numerous canals and bridges all over the city. The comparisons with...
View ArticleA populated neighborhood, but little water to drink
“We have not access to water through pipelines for a month. I collected rainwater yesterday,” says Gregorina, 23, while she collects water from a water truck that arrived in Caucaguita, her...
View ArticleFrom Syria to Yemen: My life in WASH
“Please, can I have a small plastic basin for my baby to bathe her?” A shy, middle-aged woman whispered these words into my ear. In June 2018, as the conflict in Yemen escalated, this woman, like other...
View ArticleMenstrual hygiene: Breaking the silence among educators
In Niger, it is not uncommon to hear that if a menstruating woman touches sowing seeds, the harvest will not be abundant; that a woman must not braid her sister during menstruation, otherwise she will...
View ArticleLearning from history: Sanitation for prosperity
The disposal and treatment of human waste has been an integral part of human civilization for thousands of years. From Mesopotamia’s first clay sewage pipes in 4000 BCE, to indoor plumbing in ancient...
View ArticleI spent my first days in the NICU; I got lucky
Twenty-five tiny newborns were crammed three and four to a bed. The only sink was filled with dirty water with no soap in sight. An empty bottle of hand sanitizer hung from a string on the door. The...
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