Marib

NWSA Water Branch

Marib water branch oversees water and sanitation services for residents in the Marib city in northwestern Yemen. The branch serve 7% of population through its water and limited sewage infrastructure as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people fled to relatively stable Marib for refuge, and the branch's service area and population rapidly increased, reaching over 1.74 million residents by 2022. This placed immense pressure on the branch's aging infrastructure and stressed its financial and human resources. Despite the challenges posed by the crisis, the branch has worked to expand and maintain services for the growing population. It developed additional water sources like wells and reservoirs to boost production. Over 100km of water pipes were laid to extend distribution networks. Basic sanitation was introduced through sewers serving around 0.7% of residents. Financial support from aid organizations helped provide critical equipment, fuel, and training. However, damages from indirect impacts such as power cuts, soaring costs, and decreased revenues also took their toll. Continuous rehabilitation and investment are still needed to ensure a sustainable water system for Marib's residents into the future.