Asha Ali, a 28-year-old mother of six children, is one of the displaced people who benefited from the WASH intervention implemented in Beled-Hawa, Somalia. the toilets restored some sense of dignity during a challenging time. The floods washed away her mud house, and now she lives in a hut shelter on the side of the road. “We now have a facility [in which] to defecate,” says Fatuma. “We have privacy and a feeling of security. Relieving myself within these four walls ensures my dignity as well.” Before the latrines, it was a daily early morning or night ritual to defecate openly, despite the increased risk of contracting diseases. People in flood-affected communities were defecating on the road next to the huts in which they were living. Before the toilets were constructed in our camp, I had to walk long distances from my home to the bushes, searching for a safe place to defecate—exposing myself to possible health risks, animal attacks and gender-based violence, especially at night,” says Asha. “Now there are latrines close to our home, and all the community members are using them.” Thanks to KRD who built latrines in our camp. KRD also conducts hygiene awareness sessions to explain why using latrines instead of openly defecating is so important. In addition to increasing the risk of disease, this practice also created a fo
