UN appeals for US$10m to assist Lao flood victims

The United Nations has appealed for US$10 million from the international community to assist people affected by flooding in Laos , according to a UN press release.

A joint appeal for the funds by UN agencies in partnership with the Lao government and other development partners was held in Vientiane on Friday. The funds are needed to meet key humanitarian and essential needs of people affected by flooding in 11 provinces of Laos in August.

The joint appeal proposes 15 projects in eight priority sectors.

The press release stated the most immediate needs were clean drinking water and sanitation, food supplies, essential medicines and primary health care, emergency replacement crop seeds, immunisation, and surveillance for disease outbreaks and nutrition status.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr Thongloun Sisoulith said the worst ever flood which swept large parts of Laos has threatened the livelihoods of Lao people across the country.

He said the extent of flood damage had impacted the health, nutrition and food security of more than 200,000 people in the medium and long term.

According to the deputy PM, the floods inundated about 75,000 hectares of agricultural land, of which 43,661 hectares were damaged.

“About 17,395 houses in 295 villages were flooded. A number of latrines, sewage systems and other related facilities have been damaged, and will cost about 500 million kip to repair,” he said.

“139 schools in 22 districts have been affected and will cost about 3.2 billion kip to renovate, and the damage caused to animal husbandry and fishery will cost about 5 billion kip to repair. Road repairs are estimated to run to about 293 billion kip.”

Emergency needs, as identified in the Rapid Assessment of Impact and Needs report, translated to US$2 million each in the sectors of food security and agricultural recovery, according to the UN Resident Coordinator in Laos , Ms Sonam Yangchen Rana.

She said emergency needs were just above US$1 million each in the sectors of health and nutrition, and water and sanitation; just below US$1 million for early recovery initiatives; about US$300,000 for protection, US$250,000 for education and slightly over US$131,000 for shelter.

“Of the amount needed, we have already raised about US$2 million from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund,” she said.

Ms Rana told Friday's meeting about the severe impact of the flooding in Laos this year.

She said poor families would be impoverished further due to the loss of rice paddy, food stocks and other assets. Care-givers struggling to feed their children, many of whom are already malnourished, would find the task even harder.

“Health services that could barely ensure minimal care to the community's needs before the emergency now face having to deal with a range of disease outbreaks triggered by the flood,” she said.

“The damage to roads and other infrastructure has further marginalised isolated and poor communities, and constrained their access to services.”

This is the first time ever that a humanitarian appeal has been launched for Laos to structure a coordinated humanitarian and early recovery response to a disaster.

This year's flooding is considered the worst in Lao history. Up until now, the worst flooding had occurred in 1966 when the Mekong River in Vientiane rose to just above 12m. Flood levels this year reached 13.8m in Vientiane .

By Vientiane times
(Latest Update September 22 , 2008)