Dakar, 9 September 2009. The heavy rains that have been lashing West and Central Africa since the month of June have caused serious flooding in many countries in the region. The flooding worsened considerably at the end of August and beginning of September, affecting over 400,000 people in 16 countries: Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The torrential rains have caused considerable material damage and destroyed or damaged homes, leaving thousands homeless and forcing many to flee to safer areas. The floods have claimed human lives in Guinea, Chad, Ghana, Benin, Niger, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. In response to the crisis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) immediately drew on its stocks of relief materials prepositioned in different countries as part of its 'early warning, early action' approach to provide immediate assistance to flood victims.
It also released CHF 997,446 (USD 939,834 / EUR 657,599), which is equivalent to 422 917 104 CFA francs, from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund in order to help Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to meet the population's most pressing needs.
Operations to distribute basic necessities were carried out in the suburbs of Dakar in Senegal after the first heavy rains and are now being extended to other affected regions through the Senegalese Red Cross Society. They aim to provide assistance to 5,000 families. The parcels contain impregnated mosquito nets, tarpaulins, blankets, jerry cans, sleeping mats, water purification tablets, soap and pest control products.
Similar operations were carried out in Benin, Ghana and Gambia, and there are plans to extend them to newly affected countries, including Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Guinea.
"Immediate assistance was required to help these seriously afflicted people before the situation got even worse with the arrival of more rain," explains Alasan Senghore, Head of the Federation's West and Central Africa Zone Office in Dakar.
On 10 August, the IFRC launched a preliminary emergency appeal for CHF 918,000 (EUR 604,000 / USD 852,000) to help Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to prepare for floods and droughts that threaten to hit some West and Central African countries. The International Federation is closely monitoring the situation in Senegal and Burkina Faso and will not hesitate to launch an appeal to reinforce operations in these countries, should it become necessary.
For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:
Moustapha Diallo, Information Officer in Dakar, Tel +221 77 450 10 04 +221 77 450 10 04