In brief
- Somaliland Standard reported on 2 December 2018 that a joint EU-UNICEF press release announced the inauguration of the Improving Urban Water Service Delivery in Somaliland Project in Tog Wajaale.
- The release claims the project reached 800,000 people via a public-private partnership model and notes that 68 per cent of Somaliland's population has access to a reliable water source, with only 28 per cent in rural areas.
- No evidence establishes what has happened to the system, its service levels, or the beneficiary figure after the 2018 inauguration.
Somaliland water project inaugurated in Tog Wajaale
On 2 December 2018, Somaliland Standard published a report on the inauguration of the Improving Urban Water Service Delivery in Somaliland Project in Tog Wajaale, attributing the account to a joint press release by the Government of Somaliland, the European Union, UNICEF and partners. The release, dated that same day, stated that safe, affordable water was being delivered to hundreds of thousands of families through a sustainable water system that had brought together government, private water companies and communities through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The project, funded by the EU with technical support from UNICEF and partners, aimed to address water scarcity in four towns: Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Tog Wajaale. According to the release, water systems in those towns were rehabilitated or rebuilt, though it does not specify which towns received which treatment.
The release claimed that some 800,000 people now have sustainable access to safe drinking water, but it provided no date or methodology for that figure. It also stated that overall in Somaliland, 68 per cent of the population have access to a reliable water source, while in rural areas only 28 per cent of households can access an improved water source. No source, year, or methodology was given for these statistics.
EU Chargé d'Affaires to Somalia Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz was quoted as welcoming access to clean and affordable water for the people of Somaliland, particularly Tog Wajaale, which he said was a far better alternative to unhygienic and expensive water previously supplied from an earth dam at the border with Ethiopia. Jesper Moller, whose institutional affiliation was not stated, credited the Somaliland government's leadership and the EU's funding for the project's success.
The report does not establish what has happened since the inauguration: no post-2018 service reliability, maintenance, expansion, tariff changes, or beneficiary outcomes are documented in the source. The project is not described as completed, and no contract terms, PPP agreement details, or named private operators are provided. The source records an inauguration event and the claims made by the partners, not independently verified completion or sustained performance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Improving Urban Water Service Delivery in Somaliland Project?
It is a project that aimed to improve urban water service delivery in Somaliland through a public-private partnership model, funded by the EU with technical support from UNICEF and partners, according to the joint press release reported by Somaliland Standard.
Which towns were included in the project?
The project included Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Tog Wajaale, where water systems were rehabilitated or rebuilt, according to the release. The source does not specify which towns were rehabilitated versus rebuilt.
How many people benefited from the project?
The press release claims some 800,000 people now have sustainable access to safe drinking water, but no methodology or date is provided for that figure.