UNICEF, with support from the United Kingdom, has reached 25 villages in east rural Hama with safe drinking water for the first time after years of very limited access to the area. While access is still limited to many areas where the fighting has stopped, UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies are now able to access some formerly hard-to-reach areas as conflict lines shifted.

For families in these areas, the consequences of almost eight years of war have an immense impact on their lives. In rural Hama, war damage and neglect of the water infrastructure meant that most wells and water sources were no longer functional. Years of low rainfall have also dried up local wells leaving families in a desperate situation.