Minister of Environment Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has assured safe water will be available for all citizens living across the Maldives despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The environment minister made the remarks while speaking at the Ministerial Webinar organised by Sanitation and Water for All.
Shedding light on the importance of prioritising finance for needs of water, Environment Minister Hussain Rasheed noted some islands of Maldives face shortage of clean water during the dry season. The minister mentioned one main reason for water shortage is that islands are geographically dispersed. He expressed delivering water and hygiene is a priority of the government, highlighting water has been delivered to some islands so far this year.
Furthermore, the environment minister assured the government will ensure no islands will face a lack of water during the current situation as well. Speaking further on the matter, the minister said nearly USD 20 million is allocated for water and sanitation in the economic stimulus package introduced by the government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared the latest updates on the situation and spoke on the steps imposed by the administration led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The Ministerial Webinar focused on the theme of making water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) a political and financial priority in a time of COVID-19. The webinar was held in conjunction with the World Bank, Africa Development Bank (AFDB), InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB) and The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).