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August 19, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update: 19 August
Background
Update
We have come up with an initial budget for the immediate response to the crisis in Gorom-Gorom and area. We estimate we need about $170,000 (about £90,000) for everything for 700 households in Gorom-Gorom, and 200 in the surrounding area. This is for food, temporary shelter (tents), and household provisions (blankets, medicines, mats, mosquito nets, clothes etc). We are looking for all the help we can get.
Now that food distribution will be starting, we are beginning to think of shelter, other provisions, and to mosquito nets. As it is the rainy season, there are lots of malaria-carrying mosquitos breeding in the water. Malaria kills 1 million people a year, 90% of the victims being in Africa - see this series on malaria I did last year.
So mosquito nets are a major need. As Andy says:
"We sure could use them. Lots of water. Lots of mosquitos. Lots of sick, unhappy people."
The most expensive and difficult part of this is the tents. We don't know where to get hold of these, and certainly don't have the money for them. We are in discussion with several aid agencies to see whether they might be able to help us with this. Please pray for this. Thank you.
Update
* Red Cross have just announced that they are allocating $47,941 (about £25000) from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond to the needs in Gorom-Gorom, "or to replenish disaster preparedness stocks distributed to the affected population." Pray still for a good link-up. I have contacted them to try and co-ordinate.
* We have been told that "plastic sheets", rather than tents may be a more readily available solution for temporary shelter, so need to look into this.
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
Posted by Keith at August 19, 2006 05:21 PM