One of the world’s largest humanitarian solar water systems was inaugurated on Wednesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partner organization Japan International Development Agency (JICA).
The network will provide safe, clean water to approximately 30,000 people in the Kutupalong refugee camp from a deep underground well.
This network is the largest and most cost-effective system in the camps, and is the result of collaboration between JICA, the Bangladeshi government, the US, and IOM. Generous funding came from the US government and Japan.
Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed from the government of Bangladesh on 31 July 2019, officially inaugurated the water supply network at Camp-12.
As chief guest Helal Uddin Ahmed said: “This network will go a long way in meeting the needs of the community and is a great example of cooperation between the agencies.”
Japan Embassy Minister, Takeshi Ito, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Abul Kalam, IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh, Giorgi Gigauri, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Kamal Hossain, Department of Public Health Engineering’s Chief Engineer, Md Saifur Rahman, and JICA Bangladesh office’s Chief Representative, Hitoshi Hirata, were present.
Japan Embassy’s Minister Takeshi Ito said: “I would like to commend the people of Bangladesh who have accepted more than 700,000 displaced people ... We are now providing safe water for 300,000 people and it will contribute to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal Number Six: ‘Clean Water and Sanitation for all.”
