Entries by Circle Blue

USAID To Support Handwashing Stations in South Africa

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The United States government contributed $500,000 to UNICEF for the construction of handwashing stations in South Africa, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development last week. The facilities will be implemented in vulnerable communities and informal settlements as an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus. “Hand washing with soap is a simple […]

Monsoon Season Brings South Asian Countries Triple Disaster

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Communities in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal are coping with a triple disaster: flooding, the pandemic, and loss of livelihoods during monsoon season, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned on Wednesday. The monsoon has affected just under 10 million people in the three South Asian countries. Volunteers in the region […]

Overwhelmed by Public Response, UK Government to Double Pandemic Relief Support

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Following an overwhelming response from the British public, the U.K. government will double its support for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal, according to a statement today by the International Development Secretary. The Coronavirus Appeal provides aid to refugees living in overcrowded camps around the world and the U.K. government will match public funding […]

Harrowing Conditions in Egyptian Prisons See Covid-19 Outbreaks

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Human Rights Watch released a statement Monday announcing suspected Covid-19 outbreaks in recent weeks in Egyptian prisons and police stations. Leaked letters, witness accounts, and credible reports from local rights groups and media indicated 129 suspected cases, 64 positive cases, and 14 deaths from Covid-19 complications. Overcrowding, lack of sanitation, and limited resources and medical […]

Pandemic Thrusts Venezuelan Migrants Deeper into Crisis

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Venezuelan migrants housed in temporary shelters in La Guajira, just across the border in northeastern Colombia, are grappling with two debilitating forces: Covid-19 and lack of clean water, according to the NGO network HelpAge International. “We are hugely concerned about COVID-19 breaking out in La Guajira,” said Marcela Bustamante, a regional representative at HelpAge, in […]

Covid-19 and Conflict a Double Hit on Water Workers

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The International Committee of The Red Cross (ICRC) published a report today on the importance of water workers in conflict zones and the challenges they confront during the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus has left a secondary impact on health, water, sewerage and electricity services, and overwhelmed those personnel in the field along the way. The […]

Study Finds Water Accessibility Challenges in Vanuatu

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A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that access to safe and reliable water in two provinces in Vanuatu is a greater challenge for menstruating women, people with disabilities, and those with incontinence. The Water, Women, and Disability study highlighted that while 93 percent of people are likely to […]

UN-Habitat Installs Handwashing Stations in Kathmandu Markets and Slums

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UN-Habitat set up touch-free handwashing facilities to curb the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The stations were installed in the capital’s vegetable markets, urban slums, and areas outside temples. This “Water for Life” project is primarily supported by the people of Fukuoka, Japan. The communities, managed by mostly women, led in the selection […]

Oxfam Focuses on Hygiene to Mitigate Virus in Nepal, Philippines, U.K.

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Oxfam, along with the U.K. Department for International Development and the consumer goods company Unilever, began a 12-month program in Nepal and the Philippines to improve hygiene practices to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The program will build on Oxfam’s handwashing initiative Mum’s Magic Hands, which uses storytelling to encourage good hygiene. The organization will […]