UNICEF appeals to donors for water treatment chemicals

The UN agency, which has been leading the pack in the provision of
water treatment chemicals to Zimbabwe, was due to terminate the
supplies. But the government has successfully appealed
for the extension of supplies.
Peter Salama, UNICEFs country representative, said: The position
is that we make a plea to donors to assist Zimbabwe. If
the money is not available another cholera outbreak is inevitable, because the government of Zimbabwe cannot meet its financial
obligations.
UNICEF, which was supposed to stop chemical supplies in June, agreed
to a gradual withdrawal over a period of nine months effective 1 July with a decline of 10 percent until March 2012.
In a statement the ministries of Water Resources Development and
Management and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban
Development said that, in order for the extension to be successful,
there was need for a timeous response of our co-operating partners who
have to mobilise the necessary financial resources.
We are grateful to UNICEF who positively responded to our request for
the extension and gradual withdrawal of the chemicals supply scheme.
Water borne diseases such as cholera have largely been kept in
check because of the support from our cooperating partners, said the
two ministries in a joint statement.
Saddled with a huge debt after years of abuse of the economy by Zanu (PF), the inclusive government has been
struggling to provide basic services to its people and only the
intervention of UNICEF and other donor partners in 2008 saved the
nation from the devastating effects of a cholera outbreak that
decimated more than 4000 Zimbabweans and affected close to a 100 000.
Since 2009 ,UNICEF has been supplying water chemicals to local
authorities and it is hoped that by 2012 the councils will be in a
position to independently procure the necessary chemicals.
Over four million people have benefited from increased access to water as
a result of UNICEF support for water treatment chemicals to urban
councils and growth points in Zimbabwe.