Dia and ECHO provide humanitarian services to Al-Muftash area in Taiz [Archives:2006/922/Health]
Tahani Mohammed
And Ahmad Al-Bukhari
Al-Muftash area in Taiz governorate, where a majority of the poorest and most marginalized citizens live, has been in a miserable state for a long time. Due to its location at a flood site, it has been subjected to this natural disaster, which left behind scores of garbage of various kinds, as well as damaged houses. Consequently, residents have been affected environmentally, financially and health-wise.
The area's deteriorated state drew the attention of Dia, a humanitarian non-governmental organization (NGO). With the support of ECHO (Humanitarian Aid /European Commission), Dia decided to improve residents' and the area's condition. Among services offered were flood protection walls and a water and sanitation network, accompanied by hygiene and environment training courses. Once work was in full swing, a Yemen Times correspondent went to the field to interview Dia's work team and area beneficiaries as follows.
Many needs, limited capability
Senior Technical Adviser Mohamed Benechebli explained, “We conducted a study on the area to identify its needs and found that due to its flood bed location, Al-Muftash and nearby areas have suffered flooding disasters for a long time. The situation has worsened in recent years due to the fact that channeling of Taiz implemented by the Flood Protection Project allowed the water flow to become so high, that it reached the area too fast.”
According to Benechebli, floods accompanied by garbage swept away soil and houses causing financial, health and environmental problems. Also, several residents are found dead each year in the wadi bed and 20 houses were flooded and seven completely destroyed in the last heavy rain in September 2004.
“Lack of an area sanitation system forces people to defecate outside, causing environmental as well as health problems,” he pointed out. Residents also lack water since the area is not connected to Taiz main network. Women and children especially must obtain water from far away. “This pushed Dia, with ECHO financing, to implement projects whereby Al-Muftash and nearby residents can benefit,” Benechebli explained.
He said Dia and ECHO began work by implementing floods protection walls to reduce flooding impacts on soil and housing. They also implemented two sanitation networks with two septic tanks: one in Al-She'ebah and the other in Al-Muftash. The septic tanks were implemented in a way that doesn't affect the environment, as they also implemented a water network. To support the above-mentioned activities, the two groups conducted hygiene and environment training courses. Committees also were formed to follow up future activities, especially in terms of flooding. “One of their most important tasks is maintaining the [walls] and taking care of them,” Benechebli added.
Concerning difficulties faced, he said, “Frankly speaking, the area needs too many things Dia cannot meet within its current capability, especially in terms of soil conservation. We coordinated with different sides, such as those in charge of the Social Fund for Development, the Soil and Groundwater Conservation Project and the Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry, which paid field visits to the area and looked closely at the area's needs. These needs can't be met except through the efforts of those who care about the environment.”
Benechebli continued, “While implementing our projects, we encountered a lot of difficulties, but we overcame them with the cooperation of Taiz leaders, whom we thank so much, especially Mohammed Ahmed Al-Haj, local council secretary general; Shawqi Ahmed Hayel, chairman of the planning, finance and development committee and Anas Al-Nahari, Al-Qahera local council secretary general.”
“Dia saved us”
One local beneficiary said, “We have lived here in Al-Muftash for more than a century since our ancestors came and settled here. Truly, Dia saved us from heaps of garbage and flood dangers and let us feel we are like others having the same rights. We used to be forgotten; nobody paid attention to us.”
He said floods assailed their houses, leaving behind various kinds of garbage, which caused residents diseases.
He also mentioned regional water shortages, saying, “We had a spring, but spring waters ran out, so we were without a water source and had difficulty getting water. We used to defecate outside,” he noted.
He added that Dia implemented the flood protection project and water and sanitation networks as it trained women, girls and boys in the fields of flood mitigation, hygiene and environment. “So our area became as any other in Taiz city, having its share in the modern city.”
Two- to three-meter flood walls
Ibrahim Abdulqawi, flood mitigation works contractor in Al-Muftash and Al-She'ebah, clarified, “We are implementing long flood walls consisting of rocks and baskets at the riversides. The height of these walls ranges from two to three meters. Work began several months ago in 2005. We encountered many difficulties like rain and floods, which took away work materials, but we overcame them. As you know, Al-Muftash area was a flood garbage area. Floods come from Saber Mountain, passing through channels implemented by Taiz Flood Protection Project and finally remaining in Al-Muftash area, along with all the garbage it carried on its way.”
Sanitation networks for residents
Bakeel Ali Mohammed, supervising engineer of water and sanitation networks, said they are implementing water and sanitation networks. The sanitation network in the two areas is connected by pipes and manholes to two septic tanks: one in Al-Muftash and the other in Al-She'ebah. Each consists of a reception, sedimentation room and clarification room which go to a filtration field.
Mohammed confirmed that the way the septic tanks have been built will not effect either the environment or soil. Waste will be pumped at least every six months by pumping trucks belonging to Taiz Cleaning Office. “We built septic tanks due to the impossibility of connecting the area to Taiz sanitation network because the Grilled Chamber is much higher than the area. This huge project will help the area avoid disease, transferring it into a civilized one. The water network consists of main pipes to be connected to Taiz main network,” Mohammed added.
Hygiene and environment training courses.
Ibtisam Nagi, one of the women benefiting from the project, said, “Dia French organization implemented many courses in the fields of hygiene and environment.” A flood committee member, she received training on how to save other citizens. “Projects implemented in the area make us feel happy about what has been achieved,” she added.
Regularly providing garbage trucks and bins
Dia social activities leader Raja'a Naser clarified activities: implementing the project's technical aspects, accompanied by social activities in the fields of hygiene and environment. Many training courses were conducted for women and students, with the main aim of improving health and environmental conditions. The courses focused on cleaning and how to use water.
Taiz Cleaning Project Chairman Sadeq Al-Taweel provided the area with garbage bins and sent trucks to the area to regularly transport garbage. Two committees, one for flood mitigation and the other for hygiene and environment, were formed to implement what residents have been trained in. The flood mitigation committee was trained by experts from Yemen's Red Crescent, chaired by Abdulwahab Al-Gherbani. Dia provided cleaning supplies.
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