New Water Source for Displaced People in Ma'rib: A Step Towards Recovery

Ma’rib  – “We struggled to have enough water. It was even difficult to get water trucked here. We had to wait for a long time to get to our turn,” recalled Omar, a displaced person from Tai’z.

Omar is settling now with his pregnant wife in Al Suweyda displacement site. They faced several difficulties, but finding adequate access to water was his family’s most severe challenge.

Water scarcity is one of the most prominent challenges facing displaced people in Ma’rib.

Living in sites located several kilometers away from sources of potable water, many displaced populations, over the past few years, were mainly reliant on water trucking or purchasing water at a high cost. Due to a lack of water, very few people could afford to drink or bathe in clean water which posed a serious threat to their health and safety. 

This all changed recently when the Al Suweyda Water Network became fully operational and made safe and clean water more accessible for 2,500 families living in and around Al Suweyda, Batha'a Al Mil, Saylat Al Mil and Hawsh Al Jamia'a displacement sites.

“Before this water network, our community was in a lot of distress due to the lack of access to water. We used to only get water by water trucks. It was a tragedy,” said Abdulwase’a, a community mobilizer for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and resident of Al Suweyda displacement site.

“Many families didn’t even have the means to get water. It was heartbreaking to watch children and women walk long distances carrying heavy jerry cans back to their shelters,” he added.

The strain on women and children, who frequently used to have to travel long distances to fetch water, has been eased so they can now spend more time caring for their families, studying or earning an income.

Thanks to support from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSR) and EU Humanitarian Aid, Al Suweyda water project has brought relief to 15,000 displaced and host community members living in the area who, for years, lived each day with barely enough water to get by.

Components of the water network include a six-kilometer transmission pipeline, a 15-kilometre water distribution network that serves four displacement sites, a pumping station, and a water storage tank of 300 cubic meters.

This sustainable intervention is bringing a sense of hope to the population who has now begun to recover from years of war. The new source of clean, uncontaminated water has also greatly reduced the risk that waterborne illnesses or other diseases will spread.

“Water is now abundant. We no longer must struggle or wait for days to have water. It is a blessing,” explained Omar.

“Now, all families have easy access to water which alleviates their hardship. Watching children play instead of toiling to collect water is very rewarding,” concluded Abdulwase’a.

IOM will soon expand the network to reach more schools and health facilities in Ma’rib city. This sustainable project will enhance the resilience of displaced and conflict-affected communities and help them transition to recovery.