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Philippines

Red Cross supports El Niño-stricken communities in Zamboanga City

Communities in Zamboanga City that are experiencing low water pressure or no water supply because of the El Niño phenomenon now have access to clean water for drinking and other uses, thanks to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) which provided water for the affected communities.

PRC Zamboanga City chapter, in collaboration with the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD), established an operation to support the needs for water supply of the different barangays with no water or has low water pressure, especially for drinking and domestic use.

The Red Cross also mobilized WASH (water, sanitation and health) personnel for water production and distribution and likewise trained additional personnel to operate the WASH resources in the communities.

“Providing clean water for those who need it is one of the life-saving services that the Red Cross provides. The PRC, through our Zamboanga City chapter, has provided a water tanker and mobile water treatment to the local government of Zamboanga City to provide water to the communities that are currently experiencing low or no water supply because of El Niño,” said PRC chairman Richard Gordon

Daily, the water treatment unit produces 22,000 liters of water, of which 10,000 liters are being distributed by the tankers of the Red Cross and ZCWD. As of date, 6 barangays in Zamboanga City are benefitting from the water distribution from the Red Cross and ZCWD.

Aside from the water tanker and mobile water treatment from the Zamboanga City chapter, the PRC provided an additional water tanker from Tandag, Surigao del Sur to augment the existing water tankering service of the ZCWD.

For their part, ZCWD shouldered the transportation cost needed for the retrieval of the PRC water tanker in Tandag, Surigao del Sur and is distributing water to the affected communities with their water tanker.

Zamboanga City has a population of more than 807,000, of which 20 percent or around 160,000 are experiencing low water pressure because of the drought.