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Media Statement, 12th December 2008
The outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe has left thousands of lives balanced on a knife-edge. Contamination of the water supply has meant that families have been forced to use filthy water resulting in the spread of the disease. GOAL’s Operations Manager Fiona Gannon, who is in the capital Harare, has warned that with the imminent arrival of the rainy season the outbreak could spread even further.
GOAL is responding to the needs of the vulnerable population in a number of ways. The most pressing requirement is to secure a supply of clean water. GOAL is looking at providing a number of boreholes to re-establish the water supply. We are also providing families with Jerry cans for water storage and water purification tablets that will enable already contaminated water be converted into usable water and oral dehydration sachets to promote early treatment of dehydration.
GOAL is also establishing water storage tanks in urban communities and organising hygiene and health promotion activities to inform the public of the importance of using water from a clean and reliable source, such as the ones GOAL is providing.
It is estimated that approximately 30,000 families will be reached through GOAL’s emergency response. However, with more funding GOAL would be able to increase that number considerably. To support GOAL’s emergency intervention in Zimbabwe please call (01) 2809779 or visit www.goal.ie for more information. |
