CERF provides $1.8 million for emergency response to severe floods and landslides in the La Mojana and Pacific regions
8 January 2008: Following one of the harshest winter/rainy seasons in the last decades, Colombia remains severely affected by floods and landslides caused by the second yearly rainy season. Since late-September, 41 persons have died, and over 700,000 people have been affected. Over 1,000 houses were destroyed and almost 17,000 severely damaged. The winter season caused devastating damages in La Mojana Region with more than 100,000 affected persons affected. While authorities have been able to provide broad humanitarian assistance, but the situation remains critical in La Mojana where response capacities have been overwhelmed by the intensity of the floods.
CERF funding is being used by the World Food Programme (WFP) to supply emergency food assistance to 40,000 flood-affected victims in the La Mojana region for an average of 80 days. WFP will provide food rations made up of rice, pulses, vegetable oil and sugar, until people recover their food and income sources.
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Colombians face a humanitarian emergency after the rainy season
[Photo: WFP]
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The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is using a CERF grant to guarantee access to water in sufficient quantity and quality for 12,500 persons affected by the rain emergency by procuring access to water, jerry cans and water purification systems to prevent the contamination of drinking water. The project will also upgrade sanitary installations and solid waste management systems for seven rural schools being used as shelters in several municipalities and supply and deliver personal hygiene and cleaning kits to flood victims.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) project aims to save lives through the provision of emergency shelters material and technical assistance for the construction of temporary shelters destined for 5000 persons affected by the floods. Its partners will deliver construction materials while IOM will provide technical and social assistance for the construction of shelters. In order to ensure the maximum impact of IOM’s intervention, the proposal has been designed in coordination with WFP (food distribution) and UNICEF (water/sanitation) who will target the same beneficiaries.
[Last Update: 14 January 2008]