Media roundup - clean water, WASH news, February 2, 2022

February 2, 2022

All the water, sanitation and hygiene news that's fit to publish.

WaterAid's regional programmes manager for Southern Africa Elijah Adera appeared on BBC World Service earlier this week, discussing the devastating effects of Storm Ana in Southern Africa. [TRANSCRIPT]

JOURNALIST: 
“Yes the death toll from Storm Ana which has struck three southern-African countries has risen to at least 200 as emergency teams battle to help tens of thousands of victims and rush to rebuild vital infrastructure. 
Tropical Storm Ana made landfall in Madagascar more than a week ago before ploughing into Mozambique and Malawi bringing torrential rains. I’m joined now by Elijah Adera from Pretoria in South Africa who is the Regional Program Manager for Southern Africa at WaterAid. WaterAid is working in all three of the affected countries. 

JOURNALIST: "Is WaterAid getting to grips with the full impact of the storm?"

Elijah Adera: “Yes. Thanks for talking to me. Thanks too to listeners. It is very devastating. The situation is very dire. In Malawi we have more than 460,000 people who have been displaced and affected. And we have 120,000 in Mozambique and [in] Madagascar, 130,000 people in the same situation. That's over 700,000 people displaced in these three countries in Southern Africa. We have over 200 deaths, 320,000 people injured. Several people are still missing. 
The governments, Disaster-coordinating authorities, NGOS and WaterAid are coordinating. [We are] doing an assessment. It has not yet been completed, to assess the damage to infrastructure, roads, housing and WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene facilities] infrastructure – [looking at the state] of boreholes, sanitation facilities and of course a lot of other [assessing] devastation."

JOURNALIST: "You said more than 460,000 people displaced from their homes, what are they doing? Where are they?"

EA: "They have been put in camps, especially in churches and schools. Especially in some public places where governments and other NGOS are trying to provide some kind of emergency rescue response: food, tends, clean water, sanitation. They are seriously needed in these camps."

JOURNALIST: "What’s the biggest danger at the moment?"

EA: "I’m asking the international community, donors. The biggest need is food. Food is required. Shelter is required. Definitely, clean water. Sanitation to avoid open defecation, hygiene kits, handwashing facilities. These are all really, really needed at the moment."

JOURNALIST:” Obviously you’ve got your hands full dealing with the crisis right now but just how bad is the damage to the underlying infrastructure?”

EA: “It is very, very overwhelming It will take many years to restore. There is a lot of damage to the roads. Aid agencies cannot get through to the damaged areas, because bridges and roads have collapsed because of Storm Ana. Right now it is difficult to collect the information and data.  The information and data is difficult to be collected to get [a sense of the] real damage. In coming weeks, more information will be coming."
JOURNALIST: "Elijah Adera Regional Program Manager of Southern Africa from WaterAid – thank you. “
End

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the news

Kasauli areas battle acute water shortage 
Tribune India: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/kasauli-areas-battle-acute-water-shortage-365910

Twin cities likely to face water shortage 
Tribune: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2341570/twin-cities-likely-to-face-water-shortage 
 
Water Scarcity in Africa: Everything You Need to Know 
Global Citizen: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/water-scarcity-in-africa-explainer-what-to-know/ 

Fighting for dignity of women: Meet sanitation crusader Asma Parveen 
News18: https://www.news18.com/news/mission-paani/fighting-for-dignity-of-women-meet-sanitation-crusader-asma-parveen-4719065.html 
 
How one major disaster can lead to another: a lack of clean drinking water 
Popsci: https://www.popsci.com/environment/tonga-volcano-contaminated-drinking-water/ 

Africa

 ‘Families are starving’: Chinese trawlers’ overfishing is destroying lives, say Sierra Leoneans 
The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/01/sierra-leone-families-starving-chinese-trawlers-industrial-overfishing-destroying-lives 
 
French Ambassador expelled from Mali 
BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-60202343 
Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/french-ambassador-expelled-from-mali-sqttdpff5 
 
How thieves have destroyed South Africa’s railway 
BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-60202570 
 
Revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara murder trial halted by Burkina Faso coup  
BBC: https://bbc.in/3rgisIs 
 
Who is selling armed drones to Ethiopia?
BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/60045176 
 

Asia

 
I photographed Myanmar’s protesters one day – and their funerals the next 
The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/feb/01/photojournalist-myanmar-military-attacks-protesters-mandalay-funerals 
 
Pakistan, Afghanistan pledge coordination on border crossings 
Al Jazeera - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/31/pakistan-afghanistan-to-agree-coordination-of-border-crossings 
 
World accused of ‘sitting and watching’ as Myanmar slides to war 
Al Jazeera - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/1/world-accused-of-sitting-and-watching-as-myanmar-slides-to-war 
BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-60144957 
 
Myanmar: One year since military took control in a coup, people continue to live in fear 
Sky: https://news.sky.com/story/myanmar-one-year-since-military-took-control-in-a-coup-people-continue-to-live-in-fear-12529564 
 

Health
 

Antibiotic Resistance Killed 1.2 Million People In 2019, Study Finds, A Leading Cause Of Death 
Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/19/antibiotic-resistance-killed-12-million-people-in-2019-study-finds-a-leading-cause-of-death/?sh=139b87f53963 
Economist: https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/01/22/drug-resistant-infections-kill-almost-13m-people-a-year 

Op-Ed: Drug-resistant infections are a rapidly escalating global health crisis – we need to fight back 
Indy: https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/news-analysis/antibiotics-drugs-antimicrobial-resistance-amr-b1997132.html