OCHA Situation Report
West Africa: Floods
17 October 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Around 800,000 people have been affected by floods in 14 countries in
West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire,
Senegal, The Gambia, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Sierra Leone, Benin,
Ghana and Guinea)(1) . Among the hardest hit countries are: Ghana (over
332,000 affected), Togo (over 127,900 affected), Burkina Faso (over
92,900 affected), Niger (57,000) and Mali (over 42,000 affected).

Highlights

- To date, the Flash Appeal for Ghana has been funded up to $2, 761,958,
including $2,496,956 from the CERF and $265,000 from Canadian
cooperation.

- Burkina Faso is preparing a flash appeal to respond the needs of flood
affected people.

- Relief items from OCHA warehouses in Brindisi, Italy arrived on 17
October in Bamako, Mali.

Situation and response

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. Some 35,000 houses and
1,500 kilometers and thousands hectares of crops have been destroyed. On
9 October an appeal for international assistance was launched by the
government for the reconstruction of flood devastated areas.

Response

So far, the flash appeal of $12,410,000 launched by the United Nations
and partners has been funded up to up to $2,761,958, including
$2,496,956 from the CERF and $265,000 from Canadian cooperation. The
Canadian government allocation reported last week is destined to IOM
($205,000) and OCHA ($60,000D). Some 75,000 people are being assisted
through a WFP emergency operation, while UNICEF distributed aqua tablets
for household water purification, ceramic filters and hygiene kits.

In a situation report published on 16 October, the NGO Concern Universal
raised the point that the emphasis put on the Upper East and Northern
Region hides the concerning needs of flood affected people in the Upper
West. Since the flooding began, the NGO's Concern Universal and the
European Commission funded project PRONET (Pollution Reduction Options
NETwork) have distributed a 15 day balanced food ration to 4,667 flood
affected people in Upper West region specifically Lawra,
Jirapa/Lambussie and Wa East districts. The District Chief Executive
from Lawra (Upper West Region) made a request for additional support for
five more communities which could not be assisted by Concern Universal
and ProNet due to lack of means. OCHA Regional Office carried out a
mission from 3 to 16 October to bring support to UN Resident Coordinator
in Ghana for the Flash Appeal launch and handover with departing UNDAC
team.

Burkina Faso

According to United Nations joint assessment missions fielded from 21 to
29 September in the provinces of Lorum (North), Nahouri (South Centre),
Banwa (Boucle du Mouhoun), Houet (Hauts Bassins) and Lareba (Cascades),
69,977 people including 3,485 displaced were affected by July-August
floods. According to the same report, 18,208 collapsed, causing
important material damage and at least 18 human causalities. In
addition, 20,360 hectares have been flooded in the five regions visited
by 29 September, which equals a production loss of about 9, 841 tonnes.
Only one out of the 13 regions of the country has not been affected by
floods in 2007. According to the national commission for emergency
response and national rehabilitation (CONASUR) September Floods have
affected over 92,970 affected in Burkina Faso and caused more than
28,000 displaced, 46 deaths and 73 injured.

Response

According to the UN assessment mission report published on 17 October,
there are still basic needs, despite efforts made by CONASUR and the
national company for the management of security stocks (SONAGESS). Some
2,897,042 tonnes of cereals, 316,654 tonnes of vegetables and 188 tonnes
of oil are needed to support people affected by floods in the five
regions visited by the UN missions, for a period of three months.

Needs are also identified in the sector of water and sanitation as most
latrines are now destroyed and the remaining are not used by many
children and adults. Malaria and some waterborne, respiratory and skin
diseases are on the rise, and there are needs in cement and corrugated
sheets for the reconstruction of thousands of houses.

However, a stock of non food items the equivalent of $310,000 arrived on
4 October in Burkina Faso from OCHA emergency stocks in Brindisi Italy
to support 50,000 people affected by floods in the north and the south
of Burkina Faso. A flash appeal is still under preparation.

Note:

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

For more information, please contact M. Ndiaga Seck at: seckn@un.org or
Mrs. Katy Thiam at: thiamk@un.org Attachments:

Full_Report.pdf:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=FB5A27A5077047128525737700673107&file=Full_Report.pdf

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