Since 2012, UNICEF Jordan Country Office has been playing an integral part of the humanitarian response for Syrian refugees in Jordan. As WASH sector lead, UNICEF is leading the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene promotion assistance to the refugees in camps as well as in host communities, including schools and other institutions. Azraq Refugee Camp is among the main locations where UNICEF is providing humanitarian WASH assistance which hosts more than 38,000 refugees.
In Azraq refugee Camp, UNICEF is providing water at a daily average of 2,500,000 litres. This is provided through three boreholes operated within the camp. Currently, water is pumped from the boreholes to the distribution points through main pipelines and pump stations. Water is supplied through communal tap stands distributed at the block level (camp → village → block → plot, with each plot consisting of 12 shelters). This system requires the adoption of good practices, responsible behavior, and a sense of ownership among residents to ensure safe and equitable access to water.
In addition to water supply, UNICEF is also managing wastewater management through the contractor which collects a daily amount of 800 to 1000 m3 and desludging in the proper location the camp was originally designed to include four WASH blocks per plot (a total of approximately 3,400 communal WASH blocks). However, most of these blocks have been merged with nearby shelters, dismantled, or repurposed for other uses. Over the past years, WASH actors have installed private latrines for the most vulnerable and high-need cases, and an ongoing project is currently constructing an additional 1100 private latrines. While all the above activities are conducted by local contractors, there have been significant bottlenecks regarding the effective service delivered by these partners. Although majority of the problems of quality service delivery are related to water supply, the other WASH components also present some major constraints.
Against this background, UNICEF put together an independent team to conduct daily monitoring of the major UNICEF supported services in the camp, with the sole aim of improving these with the necessary quality and effectiveness. This structure has not only improved overall quality results, but also enhanced a cordial relationship between right holders and duty bearers, particularly in water supply. Based on this experience, UNICEF has decided to expand this monitoring structure to other WASH components it supports in the camp.