Global flooding is getting worse
27/08/2008
In the last year alone, SOS Children has responded to some of the worst global flooding ever seen, providing emergency relief to flood victims in Nepal, Bangladesh, Columbia, Central America, Ghana, Bolivia and the Philippines.
Perhaps climate change, deforestation and rapid urban growth are leaving many people, particularly in poorer countries, vulnerable to flooding, certainly some experts think so. And according to the UN the threat of flooding is on the increase with the number of people living in the path of potentially devastating floods set to double from one to two billion within two generations.
Flooding can severely affect children and their families, causing homelessness, disease and crop failures. Affected water sources can lead to a shortage of safe drinking water and a greatly increased risk of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea. In some countries, particularly in Africa, receding flood waters can cause stagnant pools to form which create perfect breeding grounds for malaria carrying mosquitoes.
Long after floods have dried up, families can be left homeless and children can lack access to adequate medical care and education. Whilst immediate action is required in flood crisis-situations, long-term support is also needed.
Although the threat of flooding varies from country to country, poor, developing nations bear the brunt of annual flooding and the huge costs that result. Some countries are particularly at risk with 90 per cent of the populations of Bolivia, Ecuador and Nepal being exposed to flood risks.
How does SOS Children respond to increasing flood threats?
Based in situ with local staff, SOS Children understands the devastating affects caused by flooding to children and their families. We respond quickly and effectively, getting help to those who need it most. Over the past year, we have offered shelter, food, clothing, schooling, medical care and counselling to more than 10,000 flood victims worldwide.
SOS Children is not a development ‘agency’ in the business of flood-prevention. We’re an orphan charity, which means that by being child-focused we can be relied on the offer the right help for children when needed. We’re passionate about keeping families together safely in times of crisis and ensuring that disasters, whether natural or political, do not have a stifling affect on a child’s educational and physical development.
Read more about how we’ve helped children affected by floods:
Relevant Countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines.