A UNICEF SUCCESS STORY FROM HAITI
Haiti is the victim of severe earthquake in January 2010 and has blown into hardships of post-disaster reconstruction. Clean water became as the most important element for people to survival and became expensive demand due to rareness. Clean water, environment, food, and living styles are important elements for basic healthy life. If people drink dirty water, they will get ill seriously such as dysentery and diarrhea. The assistance which set up collapsible tanks at the sites throughout Port-au-Prince from UNICEF is quite useful. Thus, drinking tanks water can meet an urgent need in Haiti that people can have a source of drinking clean water instead of waste water. However, it is important that UNICEF to ensure there was no children in Haiti who survived the earthquake died because of preventable waterborne disease. Having clean water is a great progress to Haiti on the way of post-disaster reconstruction. The UNICEF Tap Project critical to rebuilding the wells. But one thing that they need to concern is wells will be dried in the future. More significantly, overuse groundwater will affect ecological environment and cause land subsidence. Thus, the government must find other long-term water supply plans. They should find some good water sources, build national water pipe system and then process the supply of running water.
http://www.tapproject.org/about/unicef-success-stories/haiti.html
The role of UNICEF in Haiti with their clean water initiative is a good example of how intergovernmental organizations play a large role in international health for developing countries. Without UNICEF's Tap Water project, it is certain that many more deaths would have resulted in Haiti after the damaging effects of the earthquake. Although the wells will not last forever, UNICEF's plan allows for more time to develop longer lasting clean water supply solutions. Hopefully, a solution can be found before UNICEF's resources get depleted.
ReplyDeleteUNICEF's temporary solution to the water issue in Haiti is a great demonstration of how organizations act to help nations in time of need. Although a permanent solution to clean and drinkable is vital, the actions taken now are a way to help those suffering from the aftermath of natural disasters. Clean water and sanitation are key elements in ensuring proper health. Without these, the spread of illnesses are inevitable, thus continuing the cycle of poor healthy and infectious diseases.
ReplyDeleteUNICEF's collapsable water tank is a very good band-aid, but there needs to be a permanent solution, like you said. Wells probably would not work well at this point (or really, any other) because the earthquake may have either completely collapsed the wells (in which it would cost too many resources to clear) or the earthquake contaminated the well with harmful substances from the surrounding bedrock. Either way, the best choice to get water for Haiti would be, like you said, a water treatment plant; though that brings up the topic of money, which Haiti does not have.
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