Groundbreaking for Yei’s drinking water supply system
The South Sudan National Ministry of Electricity, Dams, Irrigation and Water Resources with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Finland inaugurated the second phase of Yei Urban Water and Sanitation Project” to provide clean and sufficient water and sanitation services.
We know many people don’t drink safe water, especially in some parts of the town and our brothers and sisters in the villages.”Samuel Lugala, a community leader from Yei, appreciates the partnering governments for their support and for directing the project to Yei: I want to thank the governments of Germany and Finland for saving us. We know many people don’t drink safe water, especially in some parts of the town and our brothers and sisters in the villages.”
South Sudan’s National Minister of Electricity, Dams, Irrigation and Water Resources, Jemma Nunu Kumba said the project will include drilling of boreholes, setting up distribution pipes and elevated tanks as well as the establishment of 25 water kiosks covering an area of 25 square kilometres. It will cost about six million Euro. We are expecting the implementation to start this coming month and then to be complemented in 2016,” Minister Kumba told The Niles after the groundbreaking ceremony in Yei. She added that this project is not only for Yei”, as feasibility studies for Bor, Yambio and Rumbek are underway.
David Schwake, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to South Sudan in Yei, October 30.
She further commended the governments of Germany and Finland for their continuous efforts responding to the humanitarian concerns of the people of South Sudan — especially in view of South Sudan’s development being disrupted by violent conflict since December 2013.
David Schwake, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to South Sudan, assured the people of South Sudan of Germany’s commitment and cooperation. Ambassador Schwake also used the occasion to urge the warring parties to commit to the IGAD peace process: To resume a meaningful development, we believe all parties to the conflict should stop fighting and commit to the peace talks in Ethiopia.”
On top of its development assistance, Germany has reacted to the urgent humanitarian needs in South Sudan by providing US$ 70.2 m for humanitarian assistance in 2014, increasing the German humanitarian envelop by more than 5 times compared to 2013.Because of the dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan we have shifted funds from development aid to humanitarian aid over the past few months. But we also believe that development assistance continues to be important for the people of South Sudan,” he added.
Ambassador Schwake further stressed that the continuation of this project has only been possible due to the relative peace in Yei over the past 10 months. Peace pays off, war does not. Only peace makes development.”
The Ambassador of the Republic of Finland, Sirpa Mäenpää, expressed as well her government’s commitement to support South Sudan. Finland contributes US$ 29.1 m the WASH Sector fund, established by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan in 2012, with a co-funding of US$ 29.9 m by Germany. The government of South Sudan contributes US$ 2.7 m in kind.
Sirpa Mäenpää, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to South Sudan during the groundbreaking ceremony in Yei, October 30.
Germany has committed additional US$ 10.4 m for the technical cooperation pillar of the Fund in 2013, covering four towns across South Sudan. Whilst each municipality acts as implementing agency, a fund manager assists the Ministry of Electricity, Dams, Irrigation and Water Resources in the implementation of the WASH Sector Fund.
Germany has been supporting the South Sudan water and sanitation sector with technical assistance on both the national and local level since 2009. On the national level the German implementing organisation for technical cooperation GIZ supported the development of a WASH strategic framework, a draft water bill and an urban WASH investment and implementation plan.
In Yei, GIZ assisted in establishing a water utility and provided capacity development for key actors. Having met the benchmarks of the first programme phase (registration of a water utility, approval of a qualified staffing scheme, basic town planning), Yei is now eligible for investments financed through the German development bank KfW.
Simon Kilombe, the Director for Water and Sanitation Services in Yei described the second phase of the project as a big milestone towards socio-economic development in South Sudan. We are very grateful for this big achievement today. This investment is bigger than phase one”, he said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
We are very grateful for this big achievement today.”According to Kilombe, the first project started in 2009 with feasibility studies carried out to understand the problem of water and sanitation in Yei. Following its establishment, he said, the project has been supplying quality, reliable and affordable water services to the citizens.
Yei County Commissioner Bidali Cosmas Wori-Kojo commended the partners and urged them to extend their support as well to the rural areas. I wish to ask all the stakeholders to work closely together and to make a difference in the lives of people,” he said, not just in Yei town, but across the county.
