The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent emergency response. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters.
CHF 181’335 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support Red Cross Society of Niger (RCSN) in delivering immediate assistance to some 15,000 people affected by cholera (or living in the affected villages) in three regions (Tillabery, Maradi and Zinder). Unearmarked funds to repay DREF are encouraged.
Summary:
Since the beginning of the rainy season Niger has been facing intermittent cholera epidemics. The head of the Public Health Department reassured the country, saying that the situation was under control thanks to strong mobilization of all health technical services in the affected areas. However, from August, with increasing rainfall in the Sahel countries, there has been a great expansion of the epidemic in the Lake Chad Basin countries (Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria) and along the River Niger in Niger and Mali.
In Niger, the situation is as follows: In Niamey, (Niamey I & II) 183 cases with 6 deaths have been registered. In Illéga (Tahoua), 20 cases and 3 deaths, while in Dosso, 2 cases were registered. In week 40 of 2011, a total of 2,130 cases and 50 deaths were recorded in 7 regions from sites along the Niger River. The river, along with its tributaries and water pools, constitutes the source of contamination. River water is used for bathing, laundry, washing-up, watering animals and also as drinking water. According to specialists, the bacteria bacilliform - Vibrio cholerae is the infectious agent of cholera; and the epidemic is spreading rapidly through the use of the contaminated objects.