Cheers in Anambra communities as UNICEF begins rehabilitation of flood-damaged facilities

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Cheers in Anambra communities as UNICEF begins rehabilitation of flood-damaged facilities

THERE is excitement in the various communities affected by the 2022 flood in Anambra State, as officials of the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and the state Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, commenced assessment of the level of damage ahead of the rehabilitation and replacement of the destroyed social amenities.

Some of the villagers gathered at the sites of projects singing and dancing to appreciate the intervention in their areas.

UNICEF commenced the assessment last week and would start the repair of the facilities in public schools, markets, Primary Health Care centers and other public places shortly to discourage open defecation and outbreak of cholera in the affected areas.

Already, the tour had taken the officials to Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Awka North and Ogbaru local government areas where the flood washed away most public facilities, while in Ekwusigo and lhiala local government areas,the UNICEF technical team discovered that many farmlands and some buildings were badly affected.

Vanguard was informed that a total of 83 facilities in the seven local government areas were adversely affected by the flood.

One of the technical partners of UNICEF, Mr. Mike Onyemelukwe commended the world body and Anambra State government for their efforts in ameliorating the plight of the affected persons, adding that it would go a long way towards reducing open defecation, which had become rampant in the communities since the flood receded.

According to him, open defecation and cholera could be prevented if the facilities required were provided, adding that donor agencies were usually interested in issues concerning women and children.

The Programme Manager of the state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, Mr Tochukwu Nwosu appealed to Anambra State government to continue to support UNICEF in its efforts to provide water and sanitation facilities in communities that did not benefit from UNICEF intervention scheme, arguing that some communities not affected by the flood also lack social amenities.