Moustapha Diallo, IFRC, in Dakar and Lazare Zoungrana, Burkinabe Red Cross Society
"We cannot live like this any more. We are going back to our native Fouta," says Aissata Diallo, a resident of Diamaguene Diaksao in the suburbs of Dakar.
Aissata's house has been completely flooded. Like many other people in her neighbourhood who were unable to stay with neighbours or relatives, she was waiting for a lull in the rain to clear the water from her family home.
Now, she seems resigned and powerless. She has no choice but to return to Fouta, in the Matam region in northern Senegal, with her disabled father and sick mother, whom she is caring for.
Persistent torrential rains in Senegal
Since July, persistent torrential rains have lashed Senegal. Following floods in the suburbs of Dakar and other districts in the regions of Saint-Louis, Thiès, Kaolack, Kaffrine, Kolda and Sédhiou, new areas of Louga have been subjected to the ravages of the rain. According to the Senegalese Red Cross Society, over 150,000 people have been affected. Around 612 families have taken shelter in community centres or schools with only limited access to fresh water and sanitation.
The village of Lougdemis in Rosso, in northern Senegal, was unable to withstand the onslaught of the heavy rains. All houses have been destroyed, forcing 127 families to leave. They are now sleeping outdoors without access to drinking water. Hundreds of families in different parts of Saint-Louis have lost their crops.
A worrying situation in Burkina Faso
In Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, torrential rains claimed nine lives, affected 150,000 people and left over 100,000 homeless. These people are now staying with relatives or at shelters. Almost 300 milimeters of rain fell in less than 12 hours, causing chaos. "There's been nothing like it before in Ouagadougou. It was a real blitz," declared the mayor of the commune.
Bridges linking districts in the city centre have been completely swept away, hospitals were flooded and patients had to be transferred to other facilities in the city. In some districts, almost all the adobe houses collapsed.
Red Cross response
Hundreds of volunteers have been mobilized in the two countries to assist the affected people, assess the damage and warn people about waterborne diseases.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) drew on its stock of relief materials that had been prepositioned in these countries as part of its 'early warning, early action' approach to provide immediate assistance to flood victims.
In Senegal, the IFRC supported the Senegalese Red Cross Society, with the assistance of the Spanish Red Cross, in distributing impregnated mosquito nets, tarpaulins, blankets, jerry cans, sleeping mats, water purification tablets, soap and pest control products to 5,000 families.
Operations also began in Burkina Faso to distribute the same items to 3,000 families. The Burkinabe Red Cross Society began its operation at the Koubri Namalguéma shelter, where 230 families are staying in classrooms.
"We have received visits from several organizations, but the Red Cross was very quick to assist us," explains Rouamba Alassane, the head of a family of nine.
The IFRC has launched two emergency appeals for a total of 4,878,636 Swiss francs (4.6 million US dollar; 3.2 million euro) to support the National Societies of Burkina Faso and Senegal in assisting flood victims in the two countries. The funds will be used to assist 65,000 people for six months; 40,000 in Burkina Faso and 25,000 in Senegal.
The floods have hit 16 countries in West and Central Africa, affecting over 400,000 people. The International Federation is closely monitoring the situation in Mauritania, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Niger and Chad and in Togo and Ghana after the opening of the Bagré dam in Burkina Faso.