MSF water and sanitation teams continue activities to reduce health risks for flood-affected communities. The teams in Dadu, Dera Murad Jamali, Lakkana, Jamshoro, and Sukkur districts are distributing at least 535,000 litres of safe water a day.

In Sukkur district, the team continues to identify places to build latrines, hand washing points, and showers before it hands over its water and sanitation activities to Solidarite. In Jamshoro, health promoters and water and sanitation engineers are working in several communities to improve sanitation and waste management and to increase awareness about hygiene. The team is also working hard to provide safe water to two villages in Sehwan district that are still cut off from access to safe water.

In Saifullah Canal, near Dera Murad Jamali district, water pumps and more water storage points are being set up. Well-cleaning activities are also underway to meet the needs of the increased population in and around Dera Murad Jamali. In this area, the team has constructed 645 latrines, 170 showers, and 108 hand-washing points.

Transitional shelters

Many people have started leaving internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and going back to their hometowns despite their homes having been totally destroyed by the rains and floods. MSF plans to support families in southern Sindh by building 2,000 transitional shelters.

The team will provide from 800 to 1,000 shelters in Jamshoro district and is assessing the needs for temporary shelters in Dadu district.

“Since people keep moving every day, it is quite difficult for us to have a complete picture of their needs,” said Elisabetta Maria Faga, Emergency Coordinator in southern Sindh. “However, we are ready and we have the resource to provide about 1,000 transitional shelters in Dadu.”

Each transitional shelter will be 25-square meters, constructed from bamboo and plastic sheeting, and designed to last for one year. Reconstruction tool kits will also be provided to families in need. The team will be doing this in consultation with community leaders.

“We need input from the local community as to what will be useful for them, since they understand their needs more than we do,” said Faga.

The team also continues to provide relief item packages to people who have not received any assistance. In Saifullah Canal, Dera Murad Jamali district, MSF plans to provide 2,500 relief-item packages.