Attachments
HUMANITARIAN OVERVIEW
Torrential and late rains as a result of climate change have led to severe floodings in different parts of Senegal. The overflowing of the Senegal and Gambia rivers due to water releases from the Manantali (Mali) and Falémé dams led to fluvial flooding, causing considerable damage, particularly in the regions of Tambacounda (Bakel), Matam, Kédougou, Saint Louis (Podor). Several villages along the riverbanks in these regions were submerged. Government sites and buildings, including schools and health centers, are still flooded. Government estimates indicate that more 56,000 people have been displaced as a result of the floods.
Flooding has disrupted essential services, including health and education. As of 4 November 2024, 24 schools in Bakel, 19 in Matam and 30 in Podor were inaccessible as a result of fluvial flooding, making it impossible for children to resume their education. More than 18,000 children of school age are estimated to be currently impacted by school closure, including displaced children. This is in addition to the 248 schools across the country, including 130 in the Dakar region, that did not reopen at the start of the academic year in early October 2024 due to rain-induced floods. While exact number of health centers impacted is not known, many are reported to be flooded, including six health centers in the Tambacounda region, the health post in Diamel (Matam) and the case de santé in Gourikisamba Diom (Kanel), affecting access to basic medical care for hundreds of children and women.
Of additional concerns are children who face legal challenges as their birth certificates were either lost or destroyed by the floods. These children may encounter significant difficulties in accessing health, education, and social protection services. There are reports of a child casualty due to drowning in Kidira (Bakel) and needs for psychosocial support for children affected by the floods, including those displaced, are expected to increase.
The risk of further infrastructure damage and additional displacements remains high, as the floods continue to move towards the northeastern part of the country. The situation raises the specter of a health and economic crisis, as thousands of families live off the agricultural lands that have been and still are covered by water and risks of water borne and infectious diseases, including cholera, are increasing.
Several ministers visited affected areas and communities. The President of Senegal visited Kedougou and Bakel on 18 October 2024 to meet affected communities. Emergency relief efforts include the provision of food supplies such as rice, sugar, oil, and milk, along with non-food items like soap, disinfectants, and mattresses. Temporary shelters have been set up, and latrines and hygiene kits were distributed. some of the displaced families have been relocated by local authorities to temporary housing, including in schools, health posts, community centers or with host families. The Prime Minister announced that $13.2 million would be allocated to aid flood victims nationwide, which, according to media reports, may not be sufficient to meet extensive needs.
UNICEF RESPONSE
Following dialogues between the Resident Coordinator, UN agencies and the Government, the Senegal Government has officially submitted a letter to the United Nations and the World Bank requesting support to scale up its response to the floods. The World Bank communicated that it would mobilize 2 million USD from its Senegal River Valley Development and Resilience Project to provide essential equipment and materials, including motorized pumps to evacuate water and agricultural inputs to support farmers affected by the floods. The World Bank is also willing to provide assistance to rehabilitate damaged public infrastructure such as schools and health facilities. At the UN level, UNICEF is so far the only UN agency providing direct support to local authorities in the WASH sector. Joint missions with WFP and UNDP were conducted in October 2024 to assess needs and identify synergies for joint response.
WASH: WASH kits have been pre-positioned in the 14 Regional Hygiene Services by UNICEF to reach around 50,000 households to prevent diseases linked to water and the lack of hygiene and sanitation. To date, 6,766 WASH kits have been distributed to severely affected households reaching around 20,000 people in the affected regions. Distribution of hygiene kits have been accompanied by sensitization sessions on good hygiene practices with community members and civil society partners. WASH kits include three soap bars, two bleach bottles of one litre, a bowl, a 20-litre container, a handwashing kit and 50 water purification tablets and a poster on handwashing. UNICEF also supported the setup of emergency latrine blocks in sites where displaced communities are hosted, to complement efforts by other partners, including the Senegalese Red Cross, to provide tents for temporary shelters. In parallel, UNICEF is strengthening the capacity of WASH actors on measures to prevent and control water-related diseases. 60 health facilities were provided with WASH kits. UNICEF also supported efforts by hygiene services to disinfect houses, schools, daaras (koranic schools), health facilities freed from water after pumping by firefighters.
Child Protection: UNICEF is supporting the Child Protection Committee in Matam district to identify displaced children without birth certificates and to undertake the process of replacing lost certificates or applying for birth certificates for children who never had them. In Podor, the Departmental Child Protection Committee has taken the initiative to provide children displaced to temporary relocation sites with psychosocial support, organizing discussions and game sessions.