Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the sixth edition of the Global WASH Cluster’s (GWC) 2021 Monthly Newsletter! We are pleased to share in this issue news on the upcoming GWC events at World Water Week, key operational updates and news from partner organizations including IFRC, IRC, CERF, PRO-WASH and others. A key section on WASH and Covid-19 includes news from the Covid-19 Hygiene Hub, as well as other partners.
In addition, key documents from national humanitarian WASH coordination platforms are also featured in the operational update section. Highlights this month from countries feature the new Ukraine WASH Cluster Contingency Plan and the DRC WASH Cluster Guidance - "Normes et Standards 2021".
According to latest estimates (JMP progress report), billions of people around the world will be unable to access safely managed household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in 2030 unless the rate of progress quadruples. The data reveals that 3 in 10 people worldwide could not wash their hands with soap and water at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 4.5 million people are in need of WASH assistance in Northern Ethiopia and the Tigray region (see latest reports and response plans here). Current WASH gaps highlight the limited WASH partners in Central, South-Eastern and North-Western Zones, the shortage of latrines in most IDPs sites due to limited space as well as the limited distribution of WASH NFIs due to access restrictions, insecurity, lack of fuel, and lack of funding (OCHA WASH cluster status - Cluster website).
As such humanitarian crises worsen, coordination to ensure proper identification of needs and service delivery is crucial. The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) season is here now and with that, it’s time to develop calculations and hold consultations for the people in need and severity analysis. As you know, the Global WASH Cluster’s Field Support Team (FST), through remote support as well as through its helpdesk, is fully available to answer your questions, help you in designing your indicators, review your severity scale, and more for your upcoming HNO/HRP-related activities.
We value showcasing the incredible work National Humanitarian WASH Coordination Platforms and partners are doing around the world, so please send us your photos, stories, and other content to highlight the work of your team or draw attention to issues that matter to you. Read our submission guidelines here. All items can be sent directly for inclusion to the next newsletter by Friday, 30th July 2021 to globalwashcluster@gmail.com.
Best regards,
CAST (Cluster Advocacy and Support Team)© UNICEF/UN0464734/Himu
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GWC Collaborations and News
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The Global WASH Cluster provides Operational Support for coordination platforms in humanitarian emergencies through deployments and remote support.
The support is provided by the Field Support Team (FST), a consortium of WASH agencies providing 8 staff (4 x coordinators, 3 x information managers, and 1 x assessment specialist) with the support and oversight of the GWC-Cluster Advocacy and Support Team.
To access these services national coordinators or information managers can send an email or inquiry to gwchelp@unicef.org (SWZ-GWC Help Desk).
We also remind all that the GWC Coordination Toolkit is our live resource for guidance in all matters for coordination, information management and assessments. |
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Field Support Team (FST) Deployments
WASH IPC Coordination Support to Guinea Ebola Response - Direct Mission
 On 14th February 2021, national authorities declared an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the rural area of Gouéké in the Nzérékoré region. The total population of the region is estimated at 1,938,277 persons among them 487,143 in the capital city of Nzérékoré (the most affected) and the 23,547 in the sub-prefectures of Gouécké. The Nzerekore region is bordering 3 countries: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Liberia. As of 31 May 2021, 16 confirmed cases of Ebola virus and 7 probable cases have been identified, including five deaths in hospital. No neighboring countries have reported confirmed cases. The countdown of 42 days started on May 9th after 3 weeks without newly reported cases.
 John Kanani, FST WASH Cluster Coordinator with Oxfam was deployed from the 1st April to 31st May with the main objective to provide surge support to the IPC-WASH coordination mechanism for the ongoing response. An IPC-WASH diagnostic to identify gaps and priorities was conducted. As the result of the support, the recognized IPC-WASH working group is operational at national and field level (Nzérékoré), TORs have been developed and validated by the working group and the ministry of Health through the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (ANSS). In coordination with IPC-wash actors leads by the government, approaches and strategies have been developed to guide the EBOLA response. Different tools were updated to the context such as the IPC-WASH assessment tools and IPC-WASH minimum package. Clear roles and responsibilities between the two co-lead agencies: WHO and UNICEF discussed and agreed, and information shared on time to improve the coordination mechanism at both national and regional level.
WASH Information Management Support to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Virtual & Direct Mission
 On 9th April 2021, there was an explosive eruption, and the volcano "continued to erupt explosively" over the following days affecting 20.000 people, 7,000 of which displaced in 85 public shelters. The main purpose of the deployment was to provide a situational overview of the emergency, evaluate progress against achievement, delivery outputs, and identify key recommendations for future missions.
Alexandra Karkouli who is seconded from the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) in her role of Information Management Officer to the GWC/FST has provided remote and direct support from 17th April to 9th June to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
 During the virtual deployment various IM and dissemination tools were created or contextualized (ex. Bulletin, mailing list, Water Quality Monitoring tools, etc). During the physical deployment, various trackers, gap analysis, and a capacity mapping exercise were completed while the focus was given to the capacity building of local authorities in order to take over the WASH Sector Coordination on the island.
The capacity building was implemented through a 3-weeks training program along with mentoring of two officers from the Public Health Department overtaking all the IM tasks working along with the Public Health Director who is leading the Coordination of the Sector.
Read more on the SVG WASH Sector Website here.
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Humanitarian Needs Overview 2021-2022 - Updated Guidance
HNO 2021 – 2022 | Updated GWC PIN Guidance
 The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) season is here now and with that, it’s time to develop calculations and hold consultations for the PIN and Severity analysis. As you know, the Global WASH Cluster Field Support Team is fully available to answer your questions, help you in designing your indicators, review your severity scale, and more for your upcoming HNO/HRP-related activities.
This year, we have put together an updated HNO 2021-2022 WASH sectoral guidance which complements the short overview of what was shared previously in this summary.
The updated guidance includes calculation sheets, useful tips on the PIN development process and the Joint Inter-Sectoral Analysis Framework. Note we also have a dedicated HNO helpdesk that you can reach at: gwchelp@unicef.org or directly get in contact with Rebecka ( rrydberg@unicef.org). A detailed support package including webinars (and the guidance in French) will soon be shared with National Humanitarian WASH Coordination platforms.
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Webinar Recordings on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action
 Following the recently published IASC Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action, we have held a series of webinars with National Humanitairan WASH Coordination Platfoms in collaboration with OCHA and the Centre of Humanitarian Data.
The webinar focussed on the following:
- Cluster/Sector Level actions for data responsibility and the related roles and responsibilities of Cluster Lead and Co-Lead agencies as outlined in the Operational Guidance.
- Opportunities to jointly promote and, as necessary, support the adaptation of existing global Cluster-specific templates and/or guidance on data management to align with the new IASC Operational Guidance.
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Resources and Tools from National Humanitarian WASH Coordination Platforms - May 2021:
We encourage all National Humanitarian WASH Coordination Platforms to send their examples, guidance, tools on coordination, information management, assessment and technical guidelines/documents directly to: globalwashcluster@gmail.com.
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UNICEF WASH - Key Updates and New Resources
 UNICEF and WHO jointly released the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report – Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000 - 2020, featuring the latest national, regional and global data. The report finds that five years into the SDGs, the world is not on track to achieve SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2. Achieving universal coverage by 2030 will require a quadrupling (4x increase) of current rates of progress in safely managed drinking water services, safely managed sanitation services, and basic hygiene services.
Read more here.
UNICEF’s first-ever online course on Accountability to Affected Populations is live!
 This course aims to UNICEF staff and partners' capacity to implement and promote approaches to strengthen Accountability to Affected Populations. It introduces learners to UNICEF's commitment to AAP as an organizational priority and illustrates how to apply AAP key principles across the programme cycle, outlining some practical approaches and presenting good practices from development and humanitarian programmes. Read more and enroll here - read the UNICEF AAP Handbook here.
 UNICEF’s Standby Arrangements is a series of partnerships with external partners, including NGOs, Governments, inter-governmental organizations and private companies. It provides deployment of expertise for temporary additional support to UNICEF and UNICEF-led clusters to enhance the capacity to respond to emergencies and humanitarian crisis. With a majority of requests for the WASH sector, technical and cluster profiles have the strongest fill rate, with only 9% abandoned due to lack of support from partners or lack of an appropriate candidate. Read the report here.
Global Annual Results Report 2020: Humanitarian Action
In 2020, UNICEF and partners responded to 455 new and ongoing humanitarian situations in 152 countries. More than half of all UNICEF expenses in 2020 supported humanitarian action. Globally, UNICEF and partners reached millions of children with lifesaving, gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive interventions in the areas of health, nutrition, education, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and social protection during the year.
Read more here.
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IFRCs Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) in WASH Guidance Note
 This guidance note provides an overview of key protection, gender and inclusion (PGI) issues and practicalities to consider when assessing, designing, implementing and monitoring both long-term and humanitarian WASH programmes.
It supports the practical application of the IFRC Minimum Standards for Protection, Gender and Inclusion in Emergencies by providing guidance to promote people’s dignity, access, participation and safety (DAPS) in WASH programmes. Read more here.
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IRC - Fundraising for WASH: the basics - New Course
How can non-governmental organisations and civil society raise the funds needed to bring water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to all? This free 8-hour course aims to strengthen your capacity, and inspire you to raise funds for creating and strengthening universal WASH services. Fundraising is about creating opportunities for people to invest in causes they believe in. About making a powerful link between the world's challenges and your unique position to solve them.
Watch this short animation below introducing what fundraising for WASH is all about. Read more here.
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OCHA - Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Annual Results Report
 The year 2020 showed the need for an emergency fund ‘for all, by all’ that enables swift humanitarian action to save lives and protect people in crisis globally. Thanks to the generous support of 56 Member states and observers, three regional and local authorities, one foundation and multiple private contributions, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF); a powerful manifestation of the unwavering commitment of CERF donors to saving lives wherever crises strike and of their trust in the Fund.
Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, CERF again demonstrated the difference that it makes to the lives of people caught in humanitarian crises across the world as a record number of crisis-affected people – 69.3 million – received CERF-funded humanitarian assistance in 2020. Read more here.
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PRO-WASH - WASH Systems Training
Join PRO-WASH, Water for People and IRC WASH for a webinar and training to learn more about WASH Systems Strengthening! What is WASH systems strengthening? How can it complement your Food Security Activities?
The course will target USAID BHA funded Resilience Food Security Activities (others are welcome to join) and will include:
- Introductory and closing webinars – applying systems strengthening to your food security activity
- Opportunities to connect with colleagues facing similar challenges
- Office hours from course facilitators – answering questions on course logistics and content as well as systems thinking
- Podcasts, videos, and real-world examples
Register here for the eight-hour online course, held July 20th - 29th.
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UNC - WaSH Policy Research Digest - The Podcasts
The Water Institute at the University of North Carolina has converted its WaSH Policy Digest to a podcast format. The new podcasts take the form of short interviews with researchers, data analysts, sector thinkers and decision-makers – with the aim of highlighting the latest thinking on turning research and analysis into policy and practice. The Podcasts meet the evidence needs of in-country decision-makers by summarizing and explaining the significance of recently published policy-relevant research or analysis, highlighting implications for WaSH policy. The podcast version of the Digest seeks to achieve this through short and engaging interviews with researchers and leaders in the sector.
The Challenges of Measuring Affordability of WaSH - June 8 2021
In this episode of the WaSH Policy Research Digest podcast, Clarissa Brocklehurst talks to Guy Hutton, Senior Advisor in the WaSH Section of UNICEF in New York about a recently published report on the measurement of WaSH affordability. Listen to the podcasts here.
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Rapid groundwater potential mapping in humanitarian contexts: improving borehole implementation in basement environments
Emergency responses in humanitarian contexts require rapid set-up of water supply. Boreholes are often drilled where the needs are highest and not where hydrogeological conditions are most favourable. The Rapid Groundwater Potential Mapping (RGWPM) methodology was therefore developed as a practical tool to support borehole siting when time is critical, allowing strategic planning of geophysical campaigns. Read the article here.
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OXFAM - Call for Consultants/Freelancers in WASH and Public Health
Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. We are looking for Consultants/Freelancers specialised in WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) and Public Health Specialists
ABOUT OXFAM CONSULTS.
Oxfam Consults is a network of world-leading professionals that aims to promote Oxfam’s expertise across the wider humanitarian aid sector. By sharing technical support, knowledge, and practical experience from multi-sectoral disciplines, we can help you access this network and contribute to responses that are both more efficient and effective. Oxfam Consults is an Oxfam initiative housed by the Global Humanitarian Team. It operates both within the Oxfam milieu and more autonomously, depending on the scope of individual projects. Read more here.
All applications must be submitted online, by 30th July 2021.
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Welcome to the new Josh's Water Jobs Platform - Find Your Next WASH Job!
In honor of our fifth anniversary on the web, we are very excited to introduce you to the new Josh’s Water Jobs platform! For this first release we have focused on a new coat of paint and a one-for-one update on the site’s features. There is a lot of new functionality coming later this year, but for now we want to point out what we hope will be a huge improvement. Read more here.
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Covid-19 Hygiene Hub Updates
We are very excited to share with you, hot off the press, our summary report on integrating vaccine promotion into COVID-19 prevention work, an extensive resource to support WASH and other response actors in adapting their work to the vaccine rollout.
In this issue, we also bring you a resource on behaviour change approaches to support preventative behaviours, a webinar on monitoring hand hygiene in public spaces, and two new case studies - one about inclusive programming for people with disabilities in Kenya, and one from Bangladesh about mobile handwashing units that enable and encourage frequent handwashing in public places.
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to the Global WASH Cluster’s grey literature repository which covers over 170 resources in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and other languages, and which can be filtered by material type, topic and target audiences. Another resource you may find very useful is a new learning brief developed by the World Bank and UN Innovation Network that draws together key lessons for COVID-19 vaccination confidence, access and roll-out that have emerged from field work using behavioural science.
Technical resources
The first resource we share with you this month is a summary report on how to integrate COVID-19 vaccine promotion into prevention programmes. This report, we explore what information response actors should know about the available vaccines and how they can challenge vaccine hesitancy and support vaccine confidence and uptake; why it is critical to continue to promote existing prevention approaches; and how preventative hygiene programmes can be integrated into vaccine rollout.
Our second resource is a tool co-developed with the Global WASH Cluster that identifies ‘risky’ or sub-optimal behaviours related to mask use, handwashing and physical distancing and the factors that may influence them. We share with you examples of activities that can address each of these behaviours if adapted appropriately to the context and point you to a range of useful resources. Also check out our other technical resources which offer you relevant evidence and guidance that will support you in your COVID-19 response. All of our technical resources are available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. Please email us at support@hygienehub.info if you have requests or ideas for future resources.
Technical assistance and expertise
Our rapid and in-depth technical assistance, as well as all the resources and learning we provide through the Hygiene Hub, are made possible because we work with a fabulous team of technical advisers from 15 institutions across the globe who bring a whole range of diverse perspectives and experiences to our work.This month, we would like you to meet two of our technical advisers, Kondwani Chidziwisano, who is based at the University of Malawi research centre WASHTED, and Silvie Kraemer Palacios, who is based in Ecuador and works with RANAS. Visit our Facebook page, LinkedIn site and Twitter @hygiene_hub to watch Kondwani and Silvie introduce themselves.
Webinars
The latest addition to our repository of webinar recordings is a discussion on tools for monitoring hand hygiene in public spaces convened under the umbrella of the Hand Hygiene for All initiative. In this webinar, colleagues from the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme share findings from their global review of existing data collection tools, and you can also hear about country-level monitoring experiences in Nigeria, Indonesia and Kenya
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Latest WASH & Covid-19 New Updates From Partners
- UN Women - COVID-19, gender, and disability checklist: Preventing and addressing gender-based violence against women, girls, and gender non-conforming persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic - 1 July 2021 - Access here
- WHO - Implementation guidance for assessments of frontline service readiness: strengthening real-time monitoring of health services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic - 1 July 2021 - Access here
- Latest WHO Covid-19 Vaccination Update - 25 June 2021 - Access here
- WHO - Indicator framework for the evaluation of the public health effectiveness of digital proximity tracing solutions - 25 June 2021 - Access here
- WHO - Considerations for implementing and adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19 - 14 June 2021 - Access here
- WHO - Managing family risk: A facilitator’s toolbox for empowering families to manage risks during COVID-19 - 18 June - Access here
- RCCE Newsletter 29 - June 2021 - Access here
- Integrated Public Health COVID-19 Learning Hub, Kaya Connect, Save the Children - June 2021 Update - Access here.
- Global Health Cluster Latest Covid-19 Resources - June 2021 - Acess here.
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ICRC/IFRC - The Climate and Environment Charter
Today’s climate and environmental crises threaten the survival of humanity. All dimensions of our lives are affected, from our physical and mental health to our food, water and economic security. While the crises are impacting everyone, those who have contributed least to the problem are hit hardest – and it is only getting worse. Our ability to protect the lives and the rights of present and future generations depends on whether we make the right choices now – to cut greenhouse gas emissions, halt biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, adapt to rising risks, and address loss and damage associated with the impacts of the crises. Radical transformation is urgently needed to prevent further death and suffering.
The Climate and Environment Charter is open for signature by all humanitarian organizations. Donors, relevant government agencies (such as NDMAs) and foundations wishing to show their support for the Charter may also sign using this form and will be listed as Supporters. For questions about the Charter please contact climatecharter@ifrc.org and climatecharter@icrc.org.
Sign the charter
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Global Shelter Cluster - Annual Meeting Materials and Cross-cluster Collaboration
Over the past year, the Shelter and Settlements sector has made some progress in better understanding the connections between Shelter and Health, including MHPSS. This session explored some of these connections and discussed plans to develop them further into operational guidance, ideally with cross-cluster collaboration amongst the Shelter and Settlements, Health and WASH clusters. For this to happen, the formation of an inter-cluster technical working group focused on shelter and health, including WASH and MHPSS, were suggested to more effectively meet the needs of people affected by humanitarian crises. In a rapidly changing global environment and in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a focus on the connections between living conditions and health is ever more important.
A thematic session on that matter was held at the last Global Shelter Cluster Annual Meeting that was held from 7-17th June 2021. The recording is available below and all GSC Annual meeting materials can be found here.
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2 June 2021 - UNICEF has dispatched 15 trucks of essential health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene supplies to support the needs of 102, 000 people in Shire town, Tigray region. The supplies will benefit refugees, IDPs and host communities. The supplies include emergency drug kits, water purification chemicals, jerry cans and dignity kits. © UNICEF/UN0413719/Leul Kinfu
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