Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
See also this thread: leptospirosis outbreak
Flooding in Colombia: A hidden emergency
27 Oct 2010
In the past three months, more than 900,000 people have lost their homes and livelihoods because of flooding in northern Colombia, and the rainy season has only just begun. Niki Barton meets people affected by the floods.
I step out of the canoe, aiming for a shallow area so the water won’t come over the top of my wellington boot. Then I notice the group of children walking past without boots, without shoes even, the water coming up almost to their waists.
This is Lorica, a small community in Monteria, northern Colombia. The village has been flooded for more than two months and people are becoming used to the water level. Wellington boots are too much of a hassle, and besides, it’s 40 degrees - who can wear wellies in 40 degree heat?
The water is dangerous. It’s filthy from the mud washed in from the streets and the fields, from the excrement of pigs and chickens living in it, and from the rubbish floating in it. Fortunately there is access to clean water for drinking and washing. After flooding in 2007, Oxfam helped the community to rehabilitate a water pumping station to treat and distribute water to each household. Since then the community has set up a water management committee to keep the station working, collecting a small monthly fee from each family to pay for running costs and maintenance.
Read more
Flooding in Colombia: A hidden emergency
27 Oct 2010
In the past three months, more than 900,000 people have lost their homes and livelihoods because of flooding in northern Colombia, and the rainy season has only just begun. Niki Barton meets people affected by the floods.
I step out of the canoe, aiming for a shallow area so the water won’t come over the top of my wellington boot. Then I notice the group of children walking past without boots, without shoes even, the water coming up almost to their waists.
This is Lorica, a small community in Monteria, northern Colombia. The village has been flooded for more than two months and people are becoming used to the water level. Wellington boots are too much of a hassle, and besides, it’s 40 degrees - who can wear wellies in 40 degree heat?
The water is dangerous. It’s filthy from the mud washed in from the streets and the fields, from the excrement of pigs and chickens living in it, and from the rubbish floating in it. Fortunately there is access to clean water for drinking and washing. After flooding in 2007, Oxfam helped the community to rehabilitate a water pumping station to treat and distribute water to each household. Since then the community has set up a water management committee to keep the station working, collecting a small monthly fee from each family to pay for running costs and maintenance.
Read more
