In late 2003, Nestlé and UNHCR began a partnership focusing on the refugee relief activity of water delivery and on improving the humanitarian organization’s capacity to monitor water exploitation.
Nestlé is contributing financial resources and technical expertise under this partnership, initially focusing on Ethiopia, a country that has endured severe water scarcity in recent decades. With the influx of refugees in the 1980s (numbering some 600,000 at the high point), managing water consumption presented particular challenges to UNHCR over the years. Today, UNHCR targets both refugees and returnees and is phasing out support as the remaining refugees are heading home. A key issue in the context of UNHCR’s final years of presence in Ethiopia is to hand over the water infrastructure to the local community for their future benefit. Nestlé's technical support is particuarly timely as UNHCR transfers these valuable assets to the local host population.
A 22 kilometer long pipeline with pumping station and purification system brings water from the Jerer Valley to refugees and local people, the first of its kind for the Eastern Ethiopia Region. The Jerer Valley pipeline connects to a reservoir in Kebribeyah and to a distribution system of 24 tap stands in the Kebribeyah refugee camp. The reservoir is used for tankering water to refugees in nearby Hartesheik camp, which is not currently serviced by the pipeline.
The Jerer Valley pipeline was turned on late in 2003. UNHCR commissioned a water consultant to spend two months assessing the project with the local authorities to determine necessary improvements. Nestlé technical expertise provided important support for this consultancy function by designating a hydrogeologist and a water resources process manager to contribute their know-how. This knowledge sharing not only benefits UNHCR but also gives skilled local water authorities assurance as they take over the system from UNHCR in late 2004.
UNHCR’s water programme in Eastern Ethiopia also includes continued water supply to Aisha camp located north of Jjijga. The local UNHCR crew will dig a Hafir Dam between Kebribeyah and Hartesheik camps for rainwater collection as an additional resource. Nestlé’s contribution will also support the Jijiga town Water Works. 12 wells in Jijiga pump water to residents, however, the system is subjected to electrical malfunctions and lacking in sufficient control panels. UNHCR’s programme is addressing these issues with Nestlé’s input. Nestlé’s support allows UNHCR to provide water services to some 210,000 people, of which 27,847 are Somali refugees who have not yet returned home. This represents an increase of 6% of the total population with access to safe, sustainable water in this region.
The UNHCR/Nestlé partnership fits perfectly with the Ethiopian Government’s National Water Strategy which aims to increase availability of water for rural populations and promote the use of groundwater and systematic harvesting of rainwater.
This public-private collaboration between the United Nations and a private business is furthering the Millennium Development Goal to halve the world’s population without access to sustainable and safe water sources by 2015.