ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 6 (UPI) -- More than 10,000 refugees in the Somali region of Ethiopia are receiving water through electricity upgrades in drought-prone areas, a U.N. agency said.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said an electricity project in the Somali region of Ethiopia is pumping 340,000 gallons of water per day to 51,000 people, including 16,000 refugees.
U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Alexander Aleinikoff said the project had wide-reaching benefits.
"It provides an important source of water to the refugees and also benefits the local community but is also good for the environment and saves money," he said.
The UNHCR funded the extension of the electricity grid in the area that allows the refugee agency to pump water from seven wells in the region. Water engineers with the UNHCR said switching from diesel to electric power cut costs by more than half.
The project has the capacity to make water available to 100,000 people in the region during the dry season. The project cost $5 million, the UNHCR said.
