NEW YORK, 23 February: The UN has launched a 9,2 million US dollar campaign to aid Bolivia which was recently ravaged by floods, landslides and freezing weather.
– Bolivia is facing one of its most devastating disasters ever, said Alfredo Marty, a representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP) for Bolivia Friday. The flood, caused by El Nino, has affected more than 350.000 people and killed at least 34, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at UN World Headquarters in New York.
The Bolivian government declared a national state of emergency in January and Evo Morales, the poor countrys president, has asked for international help.
The UN dispatched a disaster assessment team and is coordinating the international aid efforts, OCHA said. The number of families in need rises daily. The World Food Programme (WFP) identified 65.000 people requiring assistance and has already provided food to more than 12.000 families.
Water supplies have been damaged and contaminated (forurenet). Lack of sanitation and hygiene is becoming a secondary threat to Bolivians who are experiencing an increase in acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, skin diseases, and dengue fever, said OCHA.
The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) will help provide water and sanitation supplies, and the World Health Organization and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) will oversee health care efforts.
Some 175.000 acres of crops have been partially or totally destroyed, said OCHA. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) plans to deliver farming supplies and veterinary assistance.
– The international community must show its solidarity and engage to support, the flood-ravaged nation, said Marty.
Kilde: The Push Journal
