Disaster has killed more than 300
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 10, 2017) — Louisville-based non-profit WaterStep is assisting in providing safe water to victims of the April 1 deadly landslide in Mocoa, Colombia, a town of 60,000 near the Ecuadorian border.
More than 300 people are known to have died in the disaster, more than 100 are still missing and approximately 2,700 residents are living in shelters after heavy rains caused mud, rocks and water to engulf the town, sweeping away entire neighborhoods. Some areas remain without safe water and electricity, and police officers have been sent in to deter looters.
WaterStep will deliver M-100 Chlorinators and Bleach Makers to Colombian residents in order to provide safe water in landslide-stricken regions, especially to patients receiving care in hospitals.
WaterStep officials already were in Ecuador following up on their relief efforts for those hit by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that destroyed several cities last April
“Being in Ecuador with a water team this week, and being so near to Mocoa, we must try to respond to the flooding and help the Columbians,” says Mark Hogg, WaterStep founder and CEO. “We’re just too close. When a disastrous flood hits a community, contaminated water invades every facet of the culture. There’s nothing safe to drink and no disinfectant to clean anything. WaterStep’s tools and training not only fill gaps in the initial days of chaos, but, have also been proven as long-term solutions for safe water and health long after the tragedy has passed. As a result, it’s critical that we continue ongoing funding for water relief and water development.”
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