CERF allocates $3.8 million for emergency assistance to Ketsana-affected populations in Laos
 |
A woman and her baby in Laos
[Photo: UNFPA] |
13 October 2009: On 29 September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana hit southern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), sweeping through Attapeu, Sekong, Saravan, Savannakhet and Champassack Provinces. Several villages located along Sekong River were washed away and many areas were affected by landslides. Rice fields, schools, and hospitals were destroyed or damaged, affecting an estimated 170,000 people. Early assessment data indicated that the most immediate needs include emergency food relief, clean water and sanitation, basic health care, non-food items, urgent road clean-up for access to remote areas, as well as assistance to restore key livelihoods and food production.
Nearly $4 million in CERF funding will enable UN agencies to address the most urgent needs of the 170,000 people affected by the flooding. The World Food Programme (WFP) has received $1.4 million to address the immediate food needs of 115,000 people by providing rice seeds and farm tools. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will also provide increased food security with an allocation of $600,000 to distribute agricultural inputs to 5,000 vulnerable households. Health and nutrition will be addressed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The health sector has received roughly $600,000 in all to address reproductive health for 20,000 women, malnutrition for women and children, and water-borne diseases for all displaced people. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been allocated $300,000 to de-mine the most typhoon-affected regions. This programme will raise awareness on the risks on landmines and map the mines located in the affected regions. In addition, UNICEF has received $100,000 to repair schools for 4,200 children in affected areas. Water and Sanitation will be addressed by UNICEF and UN-HABITAT, reaching 91,000 beneficiaries with $300,000 in CERF funding. Another $525,000 has gone to UN-HABITAT and UNDP to provide emergency shelter for 1,400 displaced people.
[Last Update: 4 November 2009]