Floods, 09-17-2009 and 10-05-2009
Since mid-August 2009, heavy seasonal rains flooded areas throughout Senegal, particularly affecting the Pikine suburb of the capital city Dakar. Local authorities reported flooding in 17 of 21 neighborhoods in the low-lying eastern section of the suburb, which does not have a functional sewer system, and noted that 24,000 people in that section of the suburbs alone required immediate assistance. The Government of Senegal (GoS) activated the disaster relief plan and appealed for assistance from international partners. The GoS provided assistance such as pumps to drain floodwaters in affected areas, including Pikine East. However, a combination of continued rainfall, a shallow water table, and poor drainage made water removal extremely difficult. On September 14, a USAID assessment team observed large amounts of standing water affecting houses and public infrastructure in the Pikine suburb, while local health authorities reported that malaria and waterborne diseases were becoming increasing health concerns.
On September 17, 2009, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, a.i., Kevin Mullally declared a disaster due to the effects of the floods. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/Senegal to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for water, sanitation, and hygiene activities and the provision of equipment and supplies for community volunteers responding to flooding. The USAID/OFDA regional office in Dakar continued to monitor the situation in conjunction with USAID/Senegal and humanitarian partners.
On October 5, 2009, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jay T. Smith re-issued a disaster declaration for Fiscal Year 2010 due to the ongoing humanitarian effects of the floods in Senegal. In response, USAID/OFDA provided more than $546,000 for flood response programs in Dakar and St. Louis regions. In Dakar Region, USAID/OFDA provided nearly $398,000 to CRS for activities benefiting nearly 100,000 flood-affected people in four sections of Pikine city—Thiaroye Gare, Guinaw Rail Nord, Guinaw Rail Sud, and Medina Gounass districts—in which humanitarian organizations had conducted limited flood response activities. CRS programs include removal of standing water, debris, and garbage, which posed health risks; provision and distribution of emergency WASH supplies, including soap, hygiene kits, and chlorine for treatment of contaminated water at the household level; hygiene promotion activities; and training to build local disaster mitigation and response capacity. In St. Louis Region, USAID/OFDA provided more than $148,000 to Plan International for programs to benefit nearly 93,000 flood-affected people. Plan International activities included removal of standing water, debris, and garbage; rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, particularly in schools; hygiene education; and disaster risk reduction training for youth associations.
Floods, 09-25-2008
Beginning in mid-August 2008, heavy rains flooded several communities throughout Senegal, particularly affecting neighborhoods in the capital city, Dakar. According to the Senegalese Red Cross (SRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), an estimated 2,882 families, representing approximately 23,593 people, remained in their homes and required urgent assistance as of September 25. An assessment team comprising representatives from USAID/Senegal, USAID/OFDA, USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP), SRC, and IFRC observed that some homes were only accessible through polluted standing water and reported that residents were utilizing contaminated tap water for hygiene purposes. Many residents had been in direct contact with stagnant pools of water, domestic waste, garbage, latrine run-off, and leeches, and communities were increasingly vulnerable to malaria, as well as cholera and other water-borne diseases.
On September 25, U.S. Ambassador Marcia S. Bernicat declared a disaster due to the effects of the flooding. Based on the results of the September 29 assessment, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Dakar to IFRC for a rapid hygiene awareness campaign in affected communities.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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