By Kate Roux
The Haiti Red Cross Society and its Red Cross partners in Haiti are working with local authorities to repair water sources and treat water supplies in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew, as part of its effort to curb the spread of cholera and prevent other water-borne diseases.
In the hard-hit southwestern regions of Les Anglas and Coteaux –the Haiti Red Cross with support from the Netherlands Red Cross have just chlorinated 14 water systems and repaired water pumps in 12 villages, restoring access to clean water for thousands of people.
“Water systems were severely damaged by the storm. Pipes are now broken or missing, many have leaks and many wells and hand pumps are no longer functioning,” explains Iker Yuguero, a technician from the Netherlands Red Cross who has been working in Haiti for the past two years. “We are working on a daily basis with Haiti’s Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA) to tackle these problems in order to get people regular access to clean water as quickly as possible.”
Even before the storm, many of the water systems were working inefficiently or in a state of disrepair. Water system equipment, such as pumps, have an average lifespan of 15 years. But many pumps in these communities had been operating for nearly twice that amount of time.
“Ensuring potable water from taps and supplies for home-based water treatment is critical to prevent the spread of cholera, especially in areas where the population does not have latrines and open defecation increases the chances of water contamination,” adds Mr. Yuguero.
Red Cross volunteers are supplementing water supply and system repair efforts by raising awareness about good hygiene practices such as handwashing and waste disposal, and educating communities about how cholera is contracted and how to prevent it from spreading.
Today, a total of 130 hygiene kits were distribution in Tiburon as one example with volunteers such as Louise Marie Daniel, explaining how to use aquatabs and remain hydrated when infected.
“The Red Cross is focusing on the emergency needs at present to reduce vulnerability to cholera and get clean, potable water for drinking, cooking and cleaning available to the affected population as fast as we can,” says Mr. Yuguero.
