In 2020, the supply of drinking water was reinforced in the five refugee camps through the installation of additional water tanks. However, the refugee camps experienced some difficulties in the supply of drinking water. The Bwagiriza and Kavumu refugee camps are supplied with water by gravity flow, while those of Kinama and Musasa are supplied by the pumping system. This pumping system raises the problem of very high costs due to the quantity of fuel consumed. It would be advisable to set up a solar pumping system for these to alleviate the costs.
The COVID-19 top up funding has enabled the operation to support the water trucking, purchase pumps, generator and laying pipes to supply the water points in the new districts of Musasa and Nyankanda over a distance of 1,100 linear meters and 300 linear meters to supply the water storage tanks in the camps as part of the prevention against COVID-19. In addition, UNHCR and its partner have built 19 pedestal supports and installed 19 water storage tanks (10 of 5,000 litres and 9 of 2,500 litres) as part of the prevention of COVID-19. 22 stand-pipes were also built in the isolation centres. Water quality analysis was carried out twice a year.
Globally, in order to reach the standards of 20 l /person/day and guarantee access to drinking water to the beneficiaries, hydraulic infrastructures have been built and maintained (386 faulty taps have been replaced in Kinama, Bwagiriza, Kavumu and Musasa camps. There have been additional installations of 50 new taps in Kinama, Musasa and Nyankanda camps). The solar pumping system has been installed in Musasa camp, which has solved the water problem in this camp once and for all. Within the framework of the good cohabitation between the refugees and the host population, the UNHCR via its partner WASH has set up a water source in Kavumu and 2 fountains which have been opened to serve the host population of these different refugee camps.