Flood crisis: victims risk epidemics
Urgent Caritas appeal: 2 million dollars for flood victims
Dhaka (AsiaNews) The greatest threat facing flood victims in Bangladesh is health-related. A total of 2883 medical teams have been working to contain a diarrhoeal epidemic that is spreading because of contaminated water. In fact, 2069 people were attacked with diarrhoea in the last 24 hours according to the Health Directorate Control Room. This raises the total number of sick people to 75,000, 41 of whom have died.
Benedict Alo D'Rozario, director disaster management and development with Caritas Bangladesh in Dhaka, told AsiaNews that during yesterday's meeting with the Minister of Food, Disaster Management and Relief, NGO representatives underscored the need to get water purification tablets and other essential medicines to the affected areas. "As the minister pointed out, there are medicines but only in some places and at exorbitant prices," director Alo D'Rozario said.
Flooding has not spared the capital Dhaka. Several buildings were wiped out causing death and destruction. The death toll for the entire country has reached 285.
Distribution of food, clean water and medicines to the millions of homeless people is increasingly difficult because of the unrelenting rain. Road safety remains uncertain and threatens the relief effort.
Although in last few days, the weather has improved somewhat because of an active typhoon moving in from the Pacific Ocean, climate experts point out that that this year seasonal rain fall jumped by 62%. The break in weather conditions should last another two or three days, but things should get worse in the first week of August.
"If the rains last much longer, it is very likely that those affected will get even poorer," Alo D'Rozario said. "The prices of basic stables have gone up and the poor have supplies for only 4 or 5 days. To make matters worse, day labourers have been unable to work and make a living," he emphasised.
Caritas Internationalis has so far helped about 25,000 families and has launched an urgent appeal to raise about US$ 2 million in order to finance health programmes and reconstruction. Once the floodwaters recede, it expects to build 5500 new homes for homeless families now languishing in emergency shelters. The first phase of reconstruction should start by the end of July. The second one should start in early August in the most affected areas. Altogether Caritas has brought help and relief to about 40,000 families.
The appeal for Bangladesh follows the one Caritas launched last week for India. That one called for US$ 540,000 in emergency relief such as shelter, food, and medicines. Since June India has also faced a similar flood crisis, especially in its north-eastern states, one that so far has killed more than 150 people. (MA)
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