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.

SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

- Four French tourists killed in Mauritania

- An anti-tank mine exploded in southern Niger

- The Niger government warns against sabotage acts

- Hostages detained by rebels are to be released on 28 December

- Mali and Guinea make efforts to bring durable solutions to border conflict

- Agricultural production decrease in Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal

- Disarmament launched in Côte d'Ivoire

- Avian flu detected in Benin

- Future opening of an OHCHR office in West Africa

- Dear cost of living cause violent protests in Senegal

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

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

FAITS MARQUANTS

Plus de 800 000 personnes sont affectées par les inondations en Afrique de l'Ouest. Le Ghana, le Togo, le Mali et le Burkina Faso figurent parmi les pays les plus touchés

Persistance de l'insécurité dans le nord du Niger et le nord du Mali

Prévision d'une bonne production agricole

Cholera: Persistance en Sierra Léone, au Sénégal, et en Guinée

Processus de rapatriement des réfugiés Togolais et Mauritaniens en cours

Dix millions de dollars recherchés par les organisations humanitaires pour assister les victimes des inondations au Ghana

FREETOWN, 16 October 2007 (IRIN) - Freetown is one of the wettest capital cities in the world and yet even in the midst of heavy downpours its taps are often dry.

The result is that many neighbourhoods have no piped water at all and women and children must roam the streets with buckets on their heads and in their hands looking for water.

Many residents dig wells in swampy areas or collect water from polluted streams and rivers. Drinking that water often makes people sick.

The main reason for the lack of water

UNICEF IS RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF FLOOD-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN GHANA, TOGO AND BURKINA FASO

In Ghana, the UN has committed to respond to 75,000 people in most immediate need, which includes an estimated 15,000 children under the age of five.

In Togo, an estimated 60,000 people have lost their homes and the floods and heavy rains have ruined 10 per cent of the farmland and contaminated boreholes- food shortages and disease are likely to occur in the future.

Latest figures from the Government of Burkina Faso report that up to 93,000 people have been affected by flooding.