The World Bank has signed a grant for US$ 855,000 (EUR 655,000) to support community managed rural water supply and sanitation in Haiti. This Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS) grant is part of a US$ 6.4 million (EUR 4.9 million) programme approved in September 2004 in coordination with the Government of Haiti and other partners.

The grant will assist the Service National de l’Eau Potable (SNEP) to develop a national strategy for rural water supply and sanitation in coordination with governmental and non-governmental organizations. It will also finance the construction and rehabilitation of water supply and sanitary systems in schools in the Southern Department. These projects will be designed in close cooperation with local communities, include a hygiene education component and will test innovative approaches for operation and maintenance. According to WHO, only 51% of rural households in Haiti had access to a basic minimum of clean water, while only 23% have adequate sanitary facilities.

Contacts: Lee Morrison, World Bank, USA, Lmorrison1@worldbank.org ; Alejandra Viveros, World Bank, USA, Aviveros@worldbank.org

Source: World Bank, 22 Dec 2004

Tags: on-site sanitation, participatory management