OCHA Situation Report
West Africa
4 October 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Scope of floods

This year, floods have affected around 800,000 people in 13 countries in
West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire,
Senegal, The Gambia, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Sierra Leone, Benin
and Ghana)(1. The situation is especially worrisome in the following
countries: Ghana (over 330,000 affected), Togo (over 120,000 affected),
Burkina Faso (over 92,900 affected) and Mali (over 42,000 affected).

Situation and response

Highlights

So far Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Togo have requested
international assistance.

The CERF has allocated USD 1,017,103 to Mali while CERF requests from
Ghana (USD 2,496,956) and Togo (USD 1.415.260) are being treated.

Ghana launched a flash appeal of US $ 10 million on 4 October and the
one for Burkina Faso is under preparation.

A stock from Brindisi is expected to arrive to Burkina Faso on 4
October. The Government of Mali (The Civil Protection Office) has also
sent, on 2 October, a request to Brindisi.

Ghana

Flooding in the Upper East Region, Upper West Region, Northern Region
and parts of the Western Region have affected 332,600 people and caused
the death of 56 according to the Government. Material damage reported
includes the destruction of 34,337 houses, crops (over 8,000 acres),
roads and other public infrastructure. Disrupted infrastructure is a
major impediment to accessing the affected areas and the distribution of
relief assistance. Most of the affected populations have been relocated
to school buildings, while some families are staying with relatives and
friends.

Findings of the joint assessment report conducted from 17 to 20
September revealed that immediate needs include food, safe drinking
water, mosquito nets. In addition, there is an urgent need for shelter
for people staying out in the open air and in public buildings notably
schools.

The effects of floods combined with those of the severe drought occurred
in June/July have exacerbated the difficult living conditions of
vulnerable families. Market prices have doubled for most commodities.
Lack of safe drinking water remains another major concern. Moreover,
health workers report an increase in the number of malaria and diarrhea
cases. Concerns are raised by humanitarians regarding the capacity of
host

families to support displaced population burden. Families are already
facing problems to properly feed themselves and having to host victims
of the flood may further aggravate their already precarious food
security situation. Furthermore occupied schools delay the starting and
the normal functioning of schools. Affected populations need to be
relocated in appropriate shelters and provided with food and non food
items during this period of high vulnerably as a result of the loss of
most of their properties and means of living. Relocating displaced will
avoid to further delay the opening of the school year which should have
started on 11 September.

Response

The Government is assisting the affected populations with food and non
food items. On 12 September, the President of Ghana released an
estimated USD 6, 6 millions for the provision of relief items and for
the evacuation of people and distribution operations. The Government is
also benefiting from the support of partners.

The United Nations have fielded an UNDAC team to support the UNCT in the
assessments operations. OCHA Regional Office in West Africa also
deployed a surge capacity team to support the coordination activities.
In the range of assistance provided by the United Nations, the UNDP in
Ghana has mobilized USD 100,000 to support the emergency relief
coordination and announced an additional allocation of USD 250,000 to
support communities affected by the flood. Furthermore UNICEF and WFP
have distributed through the Government relief items including emergency
kit, water container, cooking set, tents, toilets school kits and high
energy biscuits in the affected areas.

According to the Inter-ministerial Task Force for the Management of the
Flood(2) , the following organizations and individuals have so far
donated relief items: NADMO; Governments of France, Japan, China, Spain;
the United Nations; Christians Helping Children International; Action
Aid; Rain Bow Aid; ADRA; Islamic Council; and many private companies.
International NGOs such as Concern Universal, Care, Catholic Relief
Services, Plan, World Vision and Oxfam are actively involved in the
assessments of the situation and in the response.

Some organizations (ECHO, the European Commission, DFID, USAID, Irish
Aid, and the Governments of Canada, Australia, Italia, Germany and NGOs)
have also pledged various relief items in support of the victims.

WFP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO have requested USD $ 2,496,956 from the
United Nations Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) for life saving
projects in the sectors of food, nutrition, health and water and
sanitation for the benefit of 75,000 people.

Meanwhile the NGOs and the United Nations agencies launched on 4 October
a flash appeal of USD 10 million to cover humanitarian needs for a
six-month period.

Notes:

(1) Breakdown of flood related figures is annexed to the report.

(2) Source: website of the Inter Ministerial Task Force as of 24
September. http://www.mint.gov.gh/ghanafloods/news11.html

For more information, please contact Mrs. Katy Thiam at: thiamk@un.org

Or M. Ndiaga Seck at: seckn@un.org

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=5EF1D0BDE633C5818525736A006C16A3&file=Full_Report.pdf

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Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
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                                guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
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