Safe water, sanitation and hygiene are essential to health, dignity, protection and community resilience.
In many vulnerable communities, unsafe water sources, poor sanitation and limited hygiene knowledge
contribute to disease outbreaks, school absenteeism, protection risks and household stress. WASH is
therefore both a lifesaving and development-oriented cluster.

HRI’s WASH cluster focuses on access to safe water, rehabilitation of boreholes and water systems,
sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion and community management of water resources. The
cluster should mainstream protection by considering distance to water points, safety of women and
girls, disability access, privacy, menstrual hygiene needs and community ownership. It should also
coordinate with health, nutrition, education and climate resilience programmes.