Mexican Flood Victims
In what is being described
as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country,
officials with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Mexican
Government estimate that one third of those affected by the recent floods
in the Mexican state of Tabasco are children.
Of particular concern to UNICEF and the Mexican Ministry of Health is
the high risk of water borne diseases such as cholera and dengue that
thrive in flood conditions and disproportionately affect children.
UNICEF is projecting that up to 70 percent of Tabasco's schools are out
of commission and have confirmed that stocks of educational supplies and
emergency school kits are ready to be distributed. The international
children's agency will also provide basic personal hygiene and household
items to the evacuees and offer psychosocial support where possible.
"UNICEF is providing families with emergency supplies and is preparing
to assist with the immediate and long term needs of the population," said
Caryl M. Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "We are
offering support to local authorities in order to ensure that children
return to some sense of normalcy as soon as possible."
The flooding occurred as the result of several days of heavy rain in
the region. The latest official information reports that more than one
million people are now affected by the flooding, that is 50 percent of the
total population with flooding covering almost 80 percent of the state. One
hundred percent of the state's crops are now underwater.
A state of emergency has been declared for all 17 municipalities of
Tabasco including the capital city of Villahermosa which was evacuated
yesterday by members of the national army, after the dams of the Grijalva
River broke and flooded the city. More than 700,000 sandbags have been used
for water retention purposes.
Emergency relief efforts have also involved relocating evacuees to
temporary shelters and providing food and potable water supplies to the
affected population. The Mexican government has distributed 55,360
mattresses and 13,885 emergency food stuffs.
So far 280 temporary shelters have been equipped to accommodate
individuals evacuated from the flooded areas of the state.
Tabasco is located in southeast Mexico, bordered to the north by the
Gulf of Mexico; to the south, by the state of Chiapas; to the east, by the
Republic of Guatemala and Campeche, and to the west, by the state of
Veracruz. It covers an area of 24,578 square kilometers.
Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Noel have also affected parts of Haiti
and the Dominican Republic forcing evacuations just as some of the
displaced were starting to return home after severe flooding last month. In
collaboration with other agencies and partners, UNICEF is monitoring and
assessing the overall health and nutrition situation in the flood affected
zones, especially access to safe water.
To make a donation to help UNICEF's emergency relief in Mexico please
go to: unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading
international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to
address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides
lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency
response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization
in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable
causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF,
with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the
global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of
survival.
Source: UNICEF
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