WB-funded water project to benefit over 5 million rural residents hinh anh 1Water supply facilities at a school. (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank on November 12 approved a 200 million USD credit to help more than 5 million people living in the poorest rural and mountainous areas of Vietnam access gain improved access to sanitation and water supply.

The credit will support the Results-based Scaling up Rural Sanitation and Water Supply Programme, which intends to supply clean water for 255,000 households and improve sanitation and water supply facilities at 2,720 schools and clinics in 21 northern mountainous and Central Highlands regions.

“Overall, Vietnam has made progress in broadening water supply and sanitation coverage, but important regional differences remain,” said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam.

“In regions that lag behind, the lack of access to basic services, together with poor hygiene practices, leads to serious health issues, including high infection rates for diarrhea and parasitic diseases and stunting among ethnic minority children,” she added.

The programme looks to back Vietnam’s National Target Programme for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation and the country’s effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals as well as the new Sustainable Development Goals.

This programme is the third WB-supported results-based programme in Vietnam. The 200-million-USD funding will come from the International Development Association (IDA) while the Vietnamese government will provide an additional 25.5 million USD aid to the project./.
VNA