EU, UNICEF inaugurate pumping station to provide water services for more than 500,000 people

To mark "World Water Day," the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (EBML) inaugurated the recently rehabilitated Tallet Al Khayat station, one of Beirut's oldest water pumping stations, in partnership with UNICEF and the European Union.  

The project aims to provide sustainable water services to more than half a million people in Beirut via a system relying on gravity and pumping.  

"Amid the continuous crisis affecting the water infrastructure, access to water is still one of the biggest challenges, putting the health of millions of people, particularly children, at risk," said UNICEF in a statement.  

Through a partnership with UNICEF, the European Union has been one of the main supporters of the country's water sector amid the ongoing crisis, as since November 2018, it has contributed EUR130 million to develop and implement water projects and reinforce the national capacity of the water establishments to secure public access to water resources.  

"Exiting the crisis in the sector and achieving a sustainable solution while providing citizens with reliable water services should be a collective responsibility, with the Government, the water establishments, and citizens each having roles and responsibilities," said European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf.  

In turn, Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, expressed that water access is a basic right, reaffirming the priority of strengthening water establishments' capacity and ensuring the sustainable provision of water to reduce the infections' spread.