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ADRA Set to Provide Water Access to Flood Affected Southeastern Madagascar For more information, contact:
John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager Donate to ADRA’s Emergency
Response Fund
SILVER SPRING, Md. —Thousands of people living in the southeastern coast of Madagascar will have improved access to clean water when a new project launches in April to assist families affected by Tropical Storm Hubert, which struck in early March, reports the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). The project aims to help 6,000 families affected by the recent flooding, and is being implemented by ADRA with funding worth $50,000 from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA). Project partners include Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Land O’Lakes International Development Division, two entities already working with ADRA to improve food access in the region. “Our presence and pre-positioned resources place us in an ideal position to respond to the urgent needs of the population,” said Peter Delhove, country director for ADRA Madagascar. Through this response, ADRA expects to increase water access through the distribution of water purification products and water storage containers, such as jerry cans, buckets, and plastic cups. This intervention will meet the short-term needs of residents, as flooding has contaminated many water sources in the affected communities. “Many families have lost their homes or belongings,” added Delhove. “They may have old pots or buckets [to store clean water], but they are broken or leaking. This response will address those needs.” This assistance follows heavy rains and flooding that isolated several communities and caused widespread damage affecting some 32,000 people in the region. According to the United Nations (UN), Tropical Storm Hubert affected eight districts, cutting off or damaging 80 percent of roads. Six of those districts suffer from an increased level of hardship, including the loss of harvests, an increased risk of exposure to potential epidemics, and an inability to access basic health services or clean water. Madagascar lies in a cyclone belt in the southwestern Indian Ocean. According to the U.N., five storms hit the country in the last two years, affecting more than 463,000 people. Madagascar’s cyclone season normally begins in December and extends through April. Follow ADRA on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest information as it happens. To send your contribution to ADRA’s Emergency Response Fund, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org. ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity. For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org. Author: Nadia McGill
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