In 2014 the US Congress passed the Water for the World Act, a bill that is designed to address the needs of over one-third of the world’s population who lack access to basic sanitation or clean water. With this legislation the President and US Government are required to define USAID priority countries for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). These countries are where a major investment will be made to significantly increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Yesterday, USAID released the first list of 13 priority countries that will receive aid during the 2016 fiscal year. Being selected as a priority country means that the countries will see an increase in water, sanitation and hygiene standards.
The list of priority countries for 2016 is:
- Afghanistan
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ethiopia
- Haiti
- Indonesia
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- South Sudan
- Uganda
- West Bank/Gaza
The countries designated for the 2016 fiscal year under the Act are a subset of WASH priority countries selected by USAID in 2014 for its Water and Development Strategy. That full list of 28 countries was first published here.
These countries were chosen based on their level of need, and the level of their commitment. Need was assessed through global data sets on the number and proportion of people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as the rates of under-five child mortality due to diarrheal disease.
This is a great change in legislation because it means that countries that desperately need support in this area will get the help they need. Previously, aid was generally sent to countries that had influence on US interests.
West Bank and Gaza - Clean Water and Sanitation
This is a great success and a direct impact of the actions taken by global citizens who are passionate about ensuring that all people have access to basic sanitation and clean water.