Colombia Flooding - Action Against Hunger Response 2011

24 March 2011 - Since April 2010 Colombia has experienced nearly continuous rain leading to flooding across the country specifically concentrated along the west and north-west coast. As of 7 March 2011 government figures indicate that 2 488 354 people have been affected and 331 killed since the start of the 2010 rainy season. The floods have destroyed 12 565 houses and damaged a further 350 131 sending 124 922 people to 587 emergency shelters across the country. With CIDA support Action Against Hunger works to reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases among 10 000 vulnerable flood-affected families in fifteen communities in the municipality of Ayapel and three communities in the municipality of La Apartada. The project aims to achieve this through the rehabilitation of community water and sanitation infrastructure damaged by the flooding including: 1 800 household water and filtration systems; 10 community water supply systems; and five sanitation systems thereby ensuring that targeted families have access to safe potable water and basic sanitation facilities. Further Action Against Hunger delivers hygiene promotion and training activities to flood-affected communities in the select municipalities.