By Moustapha Diallo, IFRC Dakar
The recent heavy rains in Senegal have caused severe floods in almost all suburbs of Dakar, the capital. After a short respite, the rains have started again bringing despair to the residents.
"We are very tired. We have lost a lot of our possessions and each year, we live the same situation" is the unanimous opinion of everyone living in Pikine Guinaw Rail.
Since the recent rains, access to neighborhoods in the suburbs has become difficult because of the puddles that formed in most streets. Many houses have been flooded by water forcing residents to move. Some have been welcomed by close neighbors that were luckier; others have preferred to leave the area completely. Even the mosques have not been spared by the floods. In some places, clouds of flies and mosquitoes compete for excrement discharged by septic tanks mixed with water spillage, raising fears of a resurgence of diseases like cholera.
A response in less than 48 hours: early warning, early action in practice
As soon as the first rains fell, dozens of volunteers from the Senegalese Red Cross were dispatched to help disaster victims save their belongings and evacuate their flooded homes. They are continuing to assess damage.
For its part, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has offered material to the Senegalese Red Cross to provide immediate assistance to 194 affected families, pending a final evaluation that will determine the number of victims and their needs. Each family received a mosquito net, tarpaulin, mats, jerry cans, blankets, water purification tablets, soap and detergents.
"The Red Cross is the first organization that came to support us," said Thillo Sow, a mother of seven children, living in Pikine Guinaw Rail. "This will certainly help us cope with the risk of diseases that threatens the neighborhood," she says.
The relief items have been taken from pre-positioned emergency stocks in Dakar, following early warning weather data that forecast a risk of serious flooding in West Africa and Central Africa.
"Thanks to the information received from the African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) - which warns of potential risks related to climate in the region, we are better prepared. We have been able to offer our assistance in the suburbs of Dakar within 48 hours, "explains Youcef Ait-Chellouche, Coordinator of the Disaster Management Office of the IFRC in Dakar.
"Now we must think about the renewal of stocks in order to meet future demands," he insists.
The Senegalese government has triggered the ORSEC plan (Organization of Relief) and will focus on pumping water out of the homes with the use of motorized equipment.
Floods, a regional phenomenon
Since the start of the rainy season, 16 countries in the region have already experienced flooding (Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gambia, Gabon, Chad, Togo, Mali, Central African Republic, Ghana, Benin, Mauritania, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Senegal). More than 200,000 people are affected; thousands of families have been uprooted from their homes and material losses are considerable. Recently, floods have caused further damage in Guinea, Chad and Sierra Leone where 10 people lost their lives.
On August 10th, the IFRC launched a preliminary emergency appeal amounting to 918.000 Swiss francs (EUR 604,000 / U.S. $ 852,000) to assist the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to prepare in advance of floods or droughts in West and Central Africa. These needs were a result of seasonal weather forecasts provided by ACMAD. The funds collected will be used to strengthen regional emergency stocks, to establish community-based early warning systems, to revise preparedness plans and to train volunteers in assessment and relief coordination.
"The coverage of the appeal is currently not enough. We have received some funds but they are not yet adequate to cover all needs." says Terry Carney, coordinator of resource mobilization at the IFRC in Dakar.