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An Appeal for Flood Victims
With the
decreasing of the floodwater, the outbreak of
water-borne diseases across the flood-affected
areas is compounding the misery of the people.
The number of diarrhoea and cholera patients
in the hospitals has been increasing day by
day. At least a number of 34,989 people got
affected to diarrhoea across the country and
five died by July 30. At least 3,017 people
were diagnosed with the disease within a day
on August 12. Other water-borne diseases are
also spreading at an alarming rate in the
country.
The devastating flood damaged a huge number of
Tubewells fully or partially. An uncountable
number of latrines have been damaged in many
rural, peri- urban and urban areas.
It is reported that seven people died of
respiratory tract infections (RTI) that
infected 6,032 people while 7,679 people
contracted skin diseases and 1,285 others
contracted eye infections by July 30.
The flood has thrown a great challenge to the
people in the affected areas. This is no way
possible by single or scattered initiative to
fight with the situation. It needs a concerted
contribution from all the implementing hands
and resource sharing partners to respond to
the appeal of the flood victims.
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NGO Forum's Response to the Flood Victims
NGO Forum for
Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation has
responded to the flood victims with the
supports of supplying ORS, WPT, Plastic Water
Container, Bleaching Powder, training to
Tubewell mechanics and Tubewell disinfecting,
repairing, installing and reconstruction of
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latrine and slab,
school latrine, and has been implementing
community mobiliza-tion activities since flood
worsens the country's safe WatSan and hygiene
situation. Scarcity of safe drinking water has
reached to an alarming state in most of the
areas even after the flood water has started
decreasing. Different water-borne diseases
have started to spread in the flood affected
areas.
NGO Forum has concentrated on prevention of
water-borne diseases and rehabilitation of the
severely affected flood victims. Therefore it
has been carrying out emergency and
rehabilitation supports among the severely
flood affected people in 39 districts where
the condition has been reported to be most
alarming. The Forum through its partner NGOs
has been facilitating emergency response and
post-flood rehabilitation programme among the
flood victims.
Flood Damages At a Glance As on 16 August 2007
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Damages
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16 August 2007 |
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Districts
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39 |
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Upazilas
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251 |
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Union/Municipalities |
2,015 |
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Affected Families
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22,53,255 |
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Population
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1,05,24,286
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No. of People
Died |
375 persons |
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Homes (Full)
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60,848 nos. |
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Homes (Partial) |
8,69,539 acres |
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Destroyed Crops
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6,89,300 acres |
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Damaged Crops
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7,31,727
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Destroyed Roads
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2,668 km |
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Damaged Roads |
22,591 km |
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Educational
Institutions (Full) |
510 nos. |
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Educational
Institutions (Partial) |
6,672 nos. |
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Destroyed
Embankments |
87 km |
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Damaged
Embankments |
727 km |
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Destroyed
Bridge-Culvert |
72 nos. |
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Damaged
Bridge-Culvert |
1,536 nos. |
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Emergency Health
Messages
Drink TW water. If not available drink river or
pond water purifying by boiling, with WPT,
bleaching powder or with alum.
Do not defecate near rivers, ponds and tubewells.
Children's stools are as harmful as those of
adults.
Use hygienic latrine. Bury open faeces in a deep
hole. Wash both hands by rubbing with soap or ash
after defecation.
Give ORS to a patient as soon as diarrhoea starts.
Dont's stop giving ORS if the patient starts to
vomit.
If ORS packets are not available, prepare ORS by
mixing half a litre of safe water with a three
finger pinch of salt and a fistful of molasses.
All prepared ORS should be used within 6-8 hours.
Discard any that is left afer 6-8 hours and
prepare fresh ORS.
Diarrhoea patients may be given available drinks,
such as, coconut water, mashed ‘chira’ water, rice
water (mar) and light tea, in additions to ORS.
Continue to give the patient normal food; mashed
foods are more easily digested.
Consult a qualified health worker or, doctor if
the patient becomes very weak due to repeated
attacks of severe diarrhoea or bloody dysentery.
Stakeholders are invited to contribute water, sanitation & environmental news & views to be published in the WatSan Bulletin.
Advocacy &Information Cell |
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