At least 175 community health workers were, on Friday, May 5, deployed to two evacuation centres - Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle and Kanyefurwe - in Rubavu district to screen children under five years of age so as to identify those with malnutrition issues for urgent support, Susane Nyiranshuti, the officer in charge of community health workers at Gisenyi hospital, told The New Times.

ALSO READ: Western Rwanda: Some roads reopen after floods, landslides

Children are being provided with nutritious food including milk, biscuits, and porridge. The disaster evacuation camps have a room where medical care is being given to patients.

ALSO READ: Rwanda sets up command centre to coordinate flood disaster interventions.

The camps are hosting more than 2,000 people in Rubavu district and 9, 231 people, in general, in all districts affected by the disasters.

The attention to children in the camps was timely as children are said to be more physically vulnerable than adults to floods according to the climate change, disaster risks and children index by UNICEF-Rwanda.

It shows that 10 per cent of children are exposed to riverine flooding predominantly in Northern and Western provinces and 5.3 million children are exposed to one or more disease vectors such as borne fever and schistosomiasis - a disease caused by parasitic worms.

ALSO READ: Rwandan women, children at the frontline of climate change

"Considering that disasters unexpectedly befell us, we should take measures to respond and prevent any disease that might attack children under five years. That is why 175 community health workers were deployed in the evacuation centres to especially screen the children if they have malnutrition issues and other diseases for urgent support,” she said.

She said that community health workers and heads of health centres are obliged to submit lists of children in need of support.

ALSO READ: Mammoth relief effort underway as Rwanda responds to deadly floods, landslides

Dorothee Nyayabanegura, a community health worker from Rugerero sector, said that all children found in "red and yellow" (danger zones) have to be listed so as to guickly get nutritious food and any other necessary care.

"We have found some cases of children with such issues,” she said.

Nutritious food provided

Marceline Mukankusi, one of the mothers living in the evacuation centre, told The New Times that she got milk for her two children, a four-year-old and a one-year-old.

"We are also waiting for porridge and biscuits for our children,” she said.

"I have three small children at the camp. We are given food, soap, tents, beddings, mosquito nets and others," added Madeleine Twizerimana, a mother who was commending the government for the quick intervention.

Gaudence Nyirasafari, another evacuated area resident, said: "I got milk for my two children. Community health workers are also screening children to see if they have malnutrition issues.”

At least 4, 871 families were provided with food, hygiene materials, beddings, and others.