Burkina Faso: Waterborne Diseases Threaten Flood Survivors

Heavy rainfall across Burkina Faso since August 20007 has resulted in flooded farms and homesteads, crumbled roads, and has left thousands without shelter or food. Save the Children now warns that children and their families whose villages are surrounded by contaminated water face a growing risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Save the Children staff are working against time to provide alternate shelter, food and emergency medicine in the world's third poorest country.

"Many wells have been inundated due to the heavy rains and drinking water is now contaminated," stressed Dr. Mathurin Bonzi, Burkina Faso-based Regional Head of Programming - West Africa for Save the Children Canada. "Our fear is that waterborne diseases can emerge anytime and easily spread given the presence of stagnant waters and very poor sanitary conditions. This current threat must be taken very seriously," added Bonzi.

Diarrhea,

malaria and cholera have been reported in the flood-affected region. Save the Children is calling for more financial assistance from the world community to ensure that families in the worst-affected areas can be protected. Based on the priorities defined by the Burkina Faso government, Save the Children Canada is working in western Burkina Faso to deliver food, medicine, and assistance to school children, with the support of Save the Children Sweden and Finland.

In the hard-stricken district of Fo, in the western region of Haut-Bassins, children and adults from the local communities have been an important part of the aid distribution effort. A total of 13,000 anti-malaria pills, anti- cholera flacons and other emergency medicines, 4.5 tons of food, 100 mosquito nets, 2 tents, some chlorine bleach and blankets have been delivered in close collaboration with the local authorities, communities and health centers. Children, who represent more than half of the 500 aid recipients, have participated in the distribution process.

As classes resume throughout the country at the beginning of October, school supplies, shoes and clothes will also be provided to children and teenagers in primary and secondary education to ensure their proper enrolment despite of the damages caused by the flooding.

"Many schools are still sheltering the displaced persons who fled their homes. But the new school year is looming and no solution has been found for them yet," said Per Tamm, Save the Children-Sweden's Regional Representative in West Africa. "This is one of our major concerns now. Children must be able to go back to school. They have already suffered too much from the flooding," continued Tamm.

More than 40,000 people in Burkina Faso have reportedly lost their homes after devastating floods caused widespread damage to crops and killed at least 33 in the impoverished country. Those preliminary estimates may still rise as UN-led missions are currently assessing needs nationwide and other rains are forecast to continue through October. Across West Africa, an estimated 500,000 victims have been affected by heavy rains and floods in 18 countries, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

In Senegal: Laurent Duvillier (Save the Children Sweden) - Tel: +221 869.18.00 - Mobile: +221 637.66.04
In Burkina Faso: Janet Trucker (Save the Children Canada) - Tel: +226 50.36.09.42 - Mobile: +226 70.21 62.15

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