On the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Kyangwali refugee camp in Uganda was established with UN backing. Over a period of just a few weeks at the beginning of 2018 its population increased from 40,000 to 70,000, leading to a deterioration in sanitary conditions and the outbreak of a cholera epidemic, with 535 suspected cases and 22 deaths reported by 22 February. Médecins sans Frontères (MSF), which provides medical assistance to these refugees, asked the Veolia Foundation to supply good quality drinking water.
Marie Girandier, a Veoliaforce volunteer, and Damien Machuel, Project Manager with the Foundation, installed an Aquaforce 15,000 - the new mobile water treatment unit designed by the Foundation. The unit can supply 15,000 people with 20 liters / day in accordance with WHO standards. With 100 m3 / day distributed using distribution manifolds and tankers, Aquaforce 15,000’s efficiency has helped to contain the cholera outbreak and reduce the number of cases identified by MSF.
More:
> Veolia Foundation website
> Read the Planet article on “Veoliaforce, the emergency logisticians”
> Médecins sans Frontières website