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SOMALIA: Water shortage to blame for AWD outbreak
09 Mar 2009 14:39:54 GMT
 Source: IRIN

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NAIROBI , 9 March 2009 (IRIN) - At least 12 people have died following an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in villages around the regional capital of Jowhar, 90km north of Mogadishu, local sources told IRIN.

"Since 28 February, 12 people, eight of them children under 10, have died in the villages of Fulanshe and Qoordhere [about 35km and 37km east of Jowhar]," said Abdifatah Moalim Mohamed, head of Bal'ano Development and Relief Organisation, a local NGO active in the area.

Mohamed said so far 200 cases of AWD had been recorded by his agency. A temporary treatment centre was set up in Fulanshe.

"We are trying to reach as many people as we can to inform them about what to do to fight the spread of the disease," he said.

Abdullahi Moalim Hussein, the deputy governor of Middle Shabelle region, who visited the area, told IRIN the outbreak resulted from contaminated water. People were suffering from a severe water shortage and were "drinking water drawn from wells and 'barkads' [water catchments] that are not fit for human consumption".

He said most water points in the area had dried up or were almost dry. "They are desperate and unfortunately, resorting to desperate measures."

The administration has set up a task force to support the locals. "We don't have much but we are going to deliver what assistance we can soon," he said.

Water is so expensive in the area that people are being buried without being washed, which is compulsory in Islam, he said.

One drum of water (200 litres) costs 500,000 Somali shillings (about US$19). "The best-paid labourer around here makes about 180,000 shillings [about $6] per day. It is totally out of reach of most people."

He said the water problem had to be addressed to stop the disease spreading. "Both the government and the agencies will have to make the water issue a first priority," said Hussein.

"We need to not only repair the existing water points but also dig more wells," he added.

ah/eo/mw

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


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