More than 5,000 children cut off from drinking water as critical facility attacked for the third time Attributable to Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa AMMAN, 24 July 2018 – “UNICEF deplores in the strongest terms yet another attack on vital and lifesaving water systems in Yemen.
“A large water facility in Sa’ada, northwest of the country, came under attack this week.
This is the third such attack on the same facility.
“Continuous attacks on water systems in Yemen are cutting off children and their families from water; increasing the likelihood of water-borne diseases spreading in the war-torn country.
“For families in Yemen, these crumbling basic services, are a matter of life and death.
UNICEF calls, once again, on parties to the conflict wherever they are in Yemen and those who have influence over them, to stop all attacks and military activity on or near civilian infrastructure including water systems and facilities, schools, hospitals and clinics”.
ENDs- For more information: Juliette Touma, UNICEF MENA, jtouma@unicef.org, +962-79-867-4628 Lina Elkurd, UNICEF MENA, lelkurd@unicef.org, +962-79-109-66-44 Bismarck Swangin, UNICEF Yemen, bswangin@unicef.org, +967-712-223-161 Notes to Editors The attack on the water project in the Nushour area in the Sa’ada governorate, immediately disabled the system and damaged the solar power system, the pump and the storage tank.
In March 2018, the Nushour water project was attacked twice in one week causing damage estimated at US$ 20,000.
UNICEF repaired this damage.
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