ReliefWeb

GENEVA (Feb. 23) XINHUA - A team of four experts sent by the World Health Organization (WHO) is assessing the situations in flooded areas in Mozambique in order to provide technical support to the country in its emergency relief operations.

The WHO experts in public health, epidemiology, malariology, nutrition and sanitary engineering plus six members from the WHO representative office are working in close collaboration with other partners, according to a WHO press release Tuesday.

Due to recent floods in the African country, around 800,000 people have been put at risk, of whom 220,000 are estimated displaced, said WHO. Six provinces have been so far affected by the floods.

The more severely affected population is still without access to safe drinking water, health care and other basic services. According to WHO estimates, of the 220,000 displaced people, 44, 000 are children under five years of age and 11,220 are pregnant women with 3,400 of them expected to deliver within the coming three months.

WHO said that most of the needs of the affected population ( food, water, shelter, health care, sanitation), remained unmet, adding that the situation is expected to worsen as the rains continue and with the virtual isolation of some of the flooded areas.

Copyright (c) 2000 NewsEdge Corporation 1999
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 02/24/2000 04:07:27