Relief for families hit by Brazil floods
A flooded village in Codo, Brazil.
PHOTO: Plan staff
PHOTO: Plan staff
May 28, 2009
Hundreds of families left homeless by severe flooding in Brazil are to be helped with emergency aid from Plan.
Plan will provide 700 families in one of the worst hit states, Maranhao, with basic packages of food and home kits that include plastic tables and chairs, mattresses, gas and a small stove. The money will also go towards purchasing hygiene and cleanliness kits, and education kits for children.
The floods are reported to have claimed 48 lives and up to 1,000,000 people have been affected by the floods. A total of 408 cities in 13 states across the country have been affected.
Plan has been working closely with local communities in Sao Luis, Codo and Timbiras and has set up workshops to help people left homeless by the flooding.
Health and teacher training
Plan’s Regional Humanitarian Response Coordinator Raul Rodriguez said: “It is vital that our relief effort does not stop after the immediate needs are met. Thousands of people are living in the shelters and are going through the emotional trauma of losing their homes, their normal way of life and their livelihoods.
“In Codo and Timbiras, we have trained 150 people as teachers and health advisors to support children and adults and help people through this difficult time. These workshops will also prepare people for their return home.”
Plan is also addressing the issue of food nutrition.
“We are directly working with 200 families in the Maranhese capital to teach adults and children how to make the most of food and how the skin, stalk and leaves which are usually discarded have high nutritional value,” said Raul.
Rivers still rising
Floodwaters have started to subside in some areas but some rivers are still reportedly rising rapidly in Amazonas state. Reports claim that as many as 408,000 people still can’t return home and are living in shelters set up in schools, sports halls and public buildings, while 400,000 children are still missing school.
The main concerns now are the threat of disease from polluted water and the lack of food or clean drinking water.
According to reports, the flooding has destroyed this year’s crops and killed many animals. Concerns that the current demand for food is becoming harder to meet, are growing.
Donate today to help provide immediate relief to children and families affected by disasters.
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Plan will provide 700 families in one of the worst hit states, Maranhao, with basic packages of food and home kits that include plastic tables and chairs, mattresses, gas and a small stove. The money will also go towards purchasing hygiene and cleanliness kits, and education kits for children.
The floods are reported to have claimed 48 lives and up to 1,000,000 people have been affected by the floods. A total of 408 cities in 13 states across the country have been affected.
Plan has been working closely with local communities in Sao Luis, Codo and Timbiras and has set up workshops to help people left homeless by the flooding.
Health and teacher training
Plan’s Regional Humanitarian Response Coordinator Raul Rodriguez said: “It is vital that our relief effort does not stop after the immediate needs are met. Thousands of people are living in the shelters and are going through the emotional trauma of losing their homes, their normal way of life and their livelihoods.
“In Codo and Timbiras, we have trained 150 people as teachers and health advisors to support children and adults and help people through this difficult time. These workshops will also prepare people for their return home.”
Plan is also addressing the issue of food nutrition.
“We are directly working with 200 families in the Maranhese capital to teach adults and children how to make the most of food and how the skin, stalk and leaves which are usually discarded have high nutritional value,” said Raul.
Rivers still rising
Floodwaters have started to subside in some areas but some rivers are still reportedly rising rapidly in Amazonas state. Reports claim that as many as 408,000 people still can’t return home and are living in shelters set up in schools, sports halls and public buildings, while 400,000 children are still missing school.
The main concerns now are the threat of disease from polluted water and the lack of food or clean drinking water.
According to reports, the flooding has destroyed this year’s crops and killed many animals. Concerns that the current demand for food is becoming harder to meet, are growing.
Donate today to help provide immediate relief to children and families affected by disasters.
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