1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

At a regional level, humanitarian partners have for 2008 agreed to focus on five priority areas for humanitarian interventions in West Africa:

- Food Security and Nutrition;

- Rapid Response to Health Emergencies;

- Protection and Population Movements;

- Natural Disaster Preparedness;

- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

La Fédération internationale des Sociétés de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge est extrêmement inquiète d'informations faisant état d'un risque de graves inondations en Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre pour la deuxième année consécutive.

Afin de diminuer l'impact des précipitations anormalement importantes qui sont annoncées pour la région par les organismes de prédiction météorologique qui travaillent en partenariat avec la Fédération internationale, des mesures immédiates ont été décidées afin d'éviter l'étendue des dégâts et la misère qui ont frappé la région l'année dernière.

This preliminary Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 750,000 (USD 731,134 or EUR 462,475) in cash, kind, or services to support the National Societies of West and Central Africa to assist 47,500 beneficiaries.

CHF 483,047 has been allocated from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to start the planned activities. Discussions are currently taking place to reallocate approximately CHF 550,000 remaining from the 2007 West Africa floods appeal to support this appeal. While these discussions are underway, partners are encouraged to provide timely support to this appeal.

In brief

This report covers the period of 01/01/06 to 31/12/2007 of a two-year planning and appeal process.

In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.

Programme summary:

In keeping with its mandate, the Federation

Du 29 au 31 octobre 2007, s'est tenue à Dakar au Sénégal, la réunion de concertation technique sur les bilans céréalier et alimentaire expost 2006/2007 et prévisionnels 2007/2008 des pays membres du CILSS et des pays côtiers de l'Afrique de l'ouest non membres du CILSS.

La réunion a enregistré la participation des délégués des pays membres du CILSS, ceux du Bénin, du Ghana, de la Guinée Conakry, du Togo et du Nigéria et également des représentants des organisations et institutions sous régionales, régionales et internationales

Each week, the World Health Organization Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and headquarters. The mandate of the WHO departments specifically concerned with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition

Cereal production slightly below 2006 production

1. An agricultural season in which there were both droughts and floods Sahelian and West African agricultural producers were subjected successively to two types of climatic shocks:

- A small pocket of drought at the beginning of the agricultural campaign with irregular or insufficient rainfall. This situation led to a late start to the agricultural campaign which did not get underway until mid- July 2007, resulting in late re/seeding.

- Severe flooding, in particular during

Around 800,000 people have been affected by floods in 14 countries in West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, 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), Mauritania (53,000) and Mali (over 42,000 affected).

Highlights

United Nations agencies and NGOs in Burkina Faso launched a flash appeal of 5,9 million USD on 26 October.

United Nations agencies in Guinea have

Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid and Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) jointly warned that "climate change is an increasing threat to development and humanitarian relief efforts" during WFP's Executive Board meeting today.

Mr. Michel, who is in Rome to address WFP's Executive Board, said: "The recent spate of weather-related disasters across the globe sets the alarm bells ringing. We have had devastating, floods and typhoons in East and South Asia, flooding on an unprecedented