Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Lesotho

OPEC funds to boost water supply

    JOHANNESBURG

    The OPEC Fund for International Development is to provide Lesotho with a US $4 million loan to help finance the expansion of the water distribution network in the capital, Maseru.

    Lesotho's urban population has surged in recent years, particularly in Maseru, primarily due to an enormous increase in the number of people migrating from rural areas to seek jobs in the garment industry. The situation has put a substantial strain on the city's water and sanitation services, an OPEC statement said.

    At present only around 50 percent of Maseru's residents have an adequate supply of drinking water, while others must resort to purchasing water from vendors at over-inflated prices, or wait in long queues at public water points.

    With demand for water currently exceeding supply, the OPEC loan will be used to install 150 km of pipeline, build two new reservoirs and two pumping stations, and upgrade existing capacity.

    The project, to be implemented over four-and-a-half years, will cost a total of US $11.25 million.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join