CERF allocates $2 million for humanitarian relief to people affected by La Niña

6 February 2008: The Niña climatic phenomenon has been affecting Bolivia since November 2007 has caused loss of lives, displacements, and damaged housing, infrastructure and agriculture. The number of casualties has risen to 48 with five persons currently listed as missing. However, the National Civil Defence expects the number of affected families to rise, especially in the most critical areas, as evaluations are still being processed and an intensification of rain is expected in February. The major concern for humanitarian response in Bolivia is the vast regions of flooding and difficulty in accessing the disperse populations in these areas. CERF funds are being utilized to jump-start essential life-saving activities in the most affected areas of Bolivia.

These floods have caused the loss of vegetable and grain crops, essential for the food security of the affected families in the departments of La Paz and Cochabamba. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is providing food assistance to those affected by the floods through the distribution of seeds, fertilizers, pasture and concentrated food. Other activities include technical assistance for agricultural production and surveillance and diagnosis of diseases.

A schoolgirl in who is benefiting from WFP food assistance [Photo: WFP]

School aged children living in the affected areas are at risk of not having access to schooling within the next couple of weeks when the new school year is supposed to start due to damage to school infrastructures, loss of family income used to buy school supplies, etc. The UN Children’s Programme (UNICEF) is using CERF funds to coordinate with government authorities to distribute and install temporary learning spaces, and purchase and distribute teaching and learning materials to teachers and students. It is expected that 10,000 children will re-start and continue schooling and receive needed learning materials.

In collaboration with WFP, UNICEF is addressing child malnutrition by training mothers on nutrition, health, hygiene, care and protection of children. It is also developing activities for social mobilisation, information and communication on breast feeding and the prevention of child illness.

Another CERF funded UNICEF project is providing psycho-social support services and activities for approximately 10,000 children and adolescents, while strengthening the prevention of sexual abuse in temporary shelters and sensitizing the public on the importance of children’s rights. In addition, a CERF grant is enabling UNICEF to provide safe drinking water to 6,300 families and supply safe excreta disposal.

Preliminary assessments indicate that 27,000 families need immediate food assistance in Bolivia. The World Food Programme (WFP) is using a CERF grant to distribute family rations to all food-insecure households, including families sheltered in camps, supply, deliver fortified blended food to children in affected families, and implement all logistics arrangements to deliver food to beneficiaries.

A CERF funded World Health Organization (WHO) project is strengthening the response of the health sector to serve the affected communities through prevention and health promotion, the provision of medicines, psychosocial support while strengthening health networks in medical care for the affected populations.

CERF resources are contributing effectively to save lives of women and young people living in refugee shelters in Bolivia through a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) project. Project activities include strengthening networks of maternal health services including training health service providers. Male and female condoms are being distributed through delivery points along with emergency contraceptive pills in camps and shelters. Furthermore, clean delivery kits for pregnant women who cannot be transferred to regular health services are being provided.

[Last update: 19 February 2008]