Red Cross Completes Chlorination Campaign

The Liberia National Red Cross Society has announced the completion of a “vigorous chlorination campaign to increase access to safe drinking water in several vulnerable communities in three remote counties of Liberia.”

A release issued in Monrovia says the campaign is part of the Red Cross’ humanitarian intervention, noting that increasing access to safe drinking water is one of the top priorities under the Liberian Red Cross Community Based Health Program or CBHP, targeting Lofa, Grand Gedeh and Rivergee counties, respectively. 

The Red Cross said the CBHP team in early October chlorinated at least 450 wells and rehabilitated 15 others to minimize the possibility of any outbreak of running stomach or other water borne diseases in the targeted communities.

The release said the campaign was geared towards strengthening water and sanitation capacity in responding to the humanitarian needs of the vulnerable communities.

The release added that the campaign which was supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross or ICRC was also meant to maintain an adequate level of preparedness at the chapter and community’s level.

During the chlorination, the CBHP team also repaired one pump at the Voinjama Central Prison Compound and recommended that additional wells be dug to adequately supply the inmates with water after assessment showed that the water table dropped in the dry season with a bedrock at the bottom of the pump.

The campaign is a quarterly exercise to enable rural dwellers, especially those in remote towns and villages in the three counties to stop drinking from contaminated wells.