Clean water for Fedorivka in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine
Published: Jun 9, 2021 Reading time: 2 minutes
In eastern Ukraine, the scarcity of potable water sources has been exacerbated by reliance on 70-year-old water systems which have been damaged by shelling and have suffered from a general lack of maintenance. To support people affected by the conflict in Donbas, People in Need (PIN) has been implementing a variety of projects, including delivering drinking water to the frontline villages where fighting has damaged the water supply system, and the rehabilitation of the water supply system in conflict-affected settlements.
“This water is really great!”
In the village of Fedorivka in the Donetsk Province, residents have had difficulties accessing clean water for at least 10 years, posing a big challenge for this small village. Lidiia, a resident of Fedorivka, says: “There was no rain last year, which caused big problems. There was not enough water in the wells in our village. Therefore, we didn’t have enough water for cooking and drinking, and absolutely no water for watering crops.”
Although the older generation here has become accustomed to collecting and retaining rainwater, as well as using it very sparingly, better access to water is one way to assist the villagers during these difficult times. To this end, PIN, in partnership with UNICEF and with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW, the German development bank, rehabilitated Fedorivka’s borehole and water storage tank. This has ensured that the residents of the settlement have enough water for cooking, drinking, and other needs.
Residents of Fedorivka tell us:"This water is really great. It’s good for cooking. And we would be very happy if the water supply pipeline were connected to the neighbouring villages as well, because people there face similar issues with water supply as we did before we received this assistance."
