Recent assessments by the Solomon Islands Red Cross (SIRC) suggest that 52,000 people have been directly affected by the recent floods.
According to the report 12,000 people have been affected in Honiara, with a further 40,000 in Guadalcanal.
“21 people have been confirmed dead while 2 are still missing,” SIRC said in a statement.
SIRC says that at least 9,500 people are now taking refuge in 21 welfare centres in Honiara, with similar camps set up in parts of Guadalcanal.
“We have set up Nomad water purification units. Two are set up at Tuvaruhu and one is operating in East Guadalcanal...so far we had purified 276,035 litres of water,” the statement reads.
“This is being delivered to all evacuation centres in Honiara City and to two centres on the city boundary. Water distribution will continue to all evacuation centres in Honiara using five 3-tonne trucks.”
SIRC today supported the Ministry of Health to establish the National Health Promotion Taskforce. The main aim of the taskforce is to co-ordinate all health promotion activities in Honiara and Guadalcanal Province in response to the recent floods.
SIRC will support the taskforce with hygiene promotion materials and trained volunteers.