Call for Expression of Interest: Building Brighter Futures in South Sudan

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has launched a Call for Expression of Interest to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) systems in South Sudan. The initiative focuses on lifesaving and resilience-building interventions in crisis-affected areas, particularly in Greater Upper Nile and Greater Bahr el Ghazal, addressing cholera outbreaks, climate shocks, and severe water and sanitation gaps.

Overview

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is seeking partners to deliver integrated WASH and environmental interventions across crisis-affected regions of South Sudan.

The call aims to restore and strengthen weakened WASH systems while expanding equitable access to safe drinking water, improving sanitation infrastructure, and promoting sustainable hygiene practices in communities facing prolonged humanitarian emergencies.

South Sudan continues to experience conflict, displacement, economic instability, and climate-related shocks such as recurrent flooding and localized drought. The influx of over one million refugees and returnees since 2023 has further strained already fragile infrastructure, particularly in Upper Nile and surrounding regions.

Programme Focus Areas

The initiative prioritises WASH and environmental programming with specialisation in:

• Basic sanitation and hygiene
• WASH in emergencies
• Safe and sustainable water supply
• Water quality monitoring and disinfection
• Community-based WASH management
• Climate-resilient WASH systems
• Cholera response and prevention
• Social and behaviour change communication
• The programme integrates emergency response with longer-term system strengthening to ensure sustainability and resilience.

Key Challenges Addressed

• National survey data indicate severe WASH deprivations across the country, including limited access to basic drinking water and extremely low safely managed water coverage. Sanitation access remains critically low, particularly in rural areas, and access to handwashing facilities is minimal.
• Widespread faecal contamination at both source and household levels has contributed to recurrent outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases. The current cholera outbreak is the largest on record and has spread across most states and counties.
• Flooding and environmental shocks frequently damage water infrastructure, while overcrowded displacement settings increase disease transmission risks and heighten protection concerns, especially for women and girls. Limited access to safe sanitation facilities also increases exposure to gender-based violence and undermines menstrual hygiene management.

Proposed Interventions

• The project will deliver integrated interventions in the most crisis-affected regions, particularly Greater Upper Nile and Greater Bahr el Ghazal.
• Planned activities include technical WASH assessments in schools, health facilities, nutrition centres, and communities. Boreholes, solar water yards, and surface water treatment systems will be rehabilitated and maintained. Water quality monitoring and disinfection will be prioritised in cholera-endemic areas.
• Community-based WASH committees will receive training to ensure sustainable operation and maintenance of water infrastructure.
• Emergency sanitation facilities will be constructed or rehabilitated in communities and institutions. Contaminated sites in cholera-affected areas will be disinfected to reduce disease transmission.
• Essential WASH supplies will be distributed to vulnerable populations, including children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition, pregnant and lactating women, and other at-risk groups.
• Risk Communication and Community Engagement volunteers will be trained to promote safe hygiene practices, cholera prevention, referral mechanisms, and increased demand for WASH services.

Social and Behaviour Change Approach

• The programme places strong emphasis on participatory engagement and social behaviour change. Communities will be involved in co-designing water conservation and sanitation solutions tailored to local contexts.
• Efforts will promote climate-resilient and water-efficient technologies while reinforcing key hygiene behaviours such as handwashing with soap and safe water storage.

Expected Impact

• Through a combination of infrastructure rehabilitation, emergency response, and capacity building, the initiative aims to reduce disease transmission, strengthen WASH system resilience, and improve dignity and protection for vulnerable populations.
• By integrating humanitarian assistance with sustainable development approaches, the project seeks to create long-term improvements in water access, sanitation services, and hygiene behaviours across crisis-affected regions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is eligible to apply under this Call for Expression of Interest?
   Eligible applicants are organisations capable of delivering WASH and emergency response interventions in South Sudan, in line with UNICEF partnership requirements.
2. Which regions are prioritised?
   Greater Upper Nile and Greater Bahr el Ghazal are key focus areas, particularly cholera-affected and displacement-prone locations.
3. What types of activities are supported?
   Activities include water system rehabilitation, sanitation facility construction, water quality monitoring, cholera response, WASH supply distribution, and social behaviour change programming.
4. Does the initiative address climate resilience?
   Yes. Climate-resilient and water-efficient technologies are a central component of the programme.
5. How does the project address protection and gender concerns?
   The initiative integrates protection mainstreaming, supports safe sanitation access, and includes measures to prevent gender-based violence and promote menstrual hygiene management.

Conclusion

UNICEF’s Call for Expression of Interest presents a critical opportunity to strengthen WASH systems in one of the world’s most fragile contexts.

By combining lifesaving emergency interventions with long-term resilience-building measures, the initiative addresses urgent cholera risks, infrastructure gaps, and climate-related vulnerabilities.

For capable partners, this programme offers the chance to contribute meaningfully to improved health outcomes, enhanced dignity, and sustainable WASH system recovery for crisis-affected communities across South Sudan.