ADRA Provides Flood Relief in Somalia
Nadia McGill
Website: http://www.adra.org
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
Nairobi, KenyaWhen floodwaters swept through central and southern Somalia, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) provided emergency relief to 16,000 flood survivors left devastated by the widespread destruction.
Due to what weather experts describe as a moderate El Niño currently affecting the Horn of Africa region, heavy rains have pounded many regions of Somalia over the last several weeks. The relentless rain has led to heavy flooding, extensive destruction of houses and property, and the deaths of more than 200 people. At least 300,000 have been affected by the flooding, with thousands of local residents coping with the loss of their homes and belongings.
In the worst-hit areas in the Beletweyne district of the Hiran region in central Somalia, where an estimated 100,000 residents have been affected, ADRA's Beletweyne Floods Response Project (BFRP) provided 800 families (4,000 beneficiaries) with basic emergency kits containing jerry cans, a tarpaulin, and chlorine water purification tablets.
ADRA also implemented environmental sanitation activities in the Bakol region in southwestern Somalia. The Hudur Emergency Flood Response (HEFR) intervention, which benefited an estimated 12,000 individuals persons, helped alleviate the sanitation crisis in Hudur town. Activities included general cleaning and garbage disposal, cleaning and chlorination of all water points, backfilling roads with stones and gravel, trenching canals, and clearing footpaths to remove stagnant water from roads and pathways. Additionally, ADRA mobilized and educated the local population in effective sanitation methods.
ADRA has been active in Somalia since 1992. ADRA Somalia manages donor-funded projects in eight sectors: water; primary health care; education; food security; infrastructure; institutional capacity building; micro-enterprise development; and emergency response interventions.
ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
-END-
Author:
Jason Nyantino
Media Contact:
Nadia McGill
ADRA International
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Phone: 301.680.5145
E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
