Manila (ICRC) – The International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology are working to improve water supplies and sanitation in four prisons affected by the recent flooding in the Philippines.
"Almost 2,000 inmates lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation," says Marco Albertini, an ICRC water and habitat coordinator.
"The situation in jails, which are already
overcrowded, has become extremely serious.
Several days after the tropical storm, some facilities remain flooded and isolated, and the delivery of relief is a major challenge." The ICRC is
working to restore water supply and to disinfect the water.
It is also distributing personal hygiene items, soap, disinfectants and water containers.
It is currently assessing
the situation in two other detention facilities.
The ICRC continues to support the Philippine National Red Cross in its efforts to ensure that people in evacuation centres have safe
drinking water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is also supporting the National Red Cross in its relief and recovery efforts after Tropical Storm
Ketsana (locally known as Ondoy) and with preparedness measures being taken in advance of Typhoon Parma.
In the Philippines, the ICRC works with the authorities in charge of detention
facilities to ensure that inmates enjoy adequate living conditions.
Some 11,000 people in 20 jails have benefited from these improvements so far this year.
In addition, 67
engineers from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology have received training.
For further information, please contact:
Anastasia Isyuk, ICRC Manila, tel: +63 918 907 21
25
Claire Kaplun, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 2405 or +41 79 244 6426
Workers harvest soybeans in Nova Mutum, Mato Grosso state in western Brazil, in this February 29, 2008 file photo. Recent floods and droughts may be harbingers of a troubled future for ...
