Strong and long-term international solidarity essential to provide African floods victims with sustainable aid

With more than one million people affected, according to United Nations statistics, some 250 people dead and 650,000 homeless, as well as crops and food stocks destroyed across 18 African countries, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is calling for strong and long-term solidarity from the international community for African floods victims. The situation is expected to worsen with more rain forecast in the coming weeks.

"It is evident from the scope of the disaster that a massive aid effort will be needed to help hundreds of thousands of flood victims survive the crisis and rebuild their lives," notes Niels Scott, Operations coordinator for Africa at the International Federation's Secretariat in Geneva.

"Not only must we, and our partners, bring emergency food, shelter and access to safe water to people in dire need, but we must also plan and finance longer-term, sustainable disaster preparedness measures, such as prepositioning stocks, building flood-proof bore holes and wells, setting up local emergency communications systems, as well as increasing the numbers of Red Cross volunteers trained in disaster management techniques."

With several regions across Africa devastated by unusually persistent, violent and recurrent rains, the International Federation has issued several appeals to cover regional needs.

On September 20, a preliminary emergency appeal for Uganda was launched, for 8.43 million Swiss francs (US$ 7.2 million/€ 5.1 million), which will provide 100,000 people with tarpaulins, impregnated bednets, blankets, jerry cans, soap and kitchen utensils, as well as tools to build water collection tanks and to construct and repair latrines.

According to assessments conducted by the Uganda Red Cross, nearly half a million people have been severely affected by flooding and landslides in eastern Uganda and 290,000 are displaced. Houses, roads, bridges, sanitation systems, food reserves and crops have been washed away, and water sources contaminated. Cases of severe malaria have been reported and outbreaks of waterborne disease - especially cholera - are feared. Uganda Red Cross volunteers have been distributing relief items (jerry cans, blankets, kitchen utensils, tarpaulins, soap).

On September 18, the initial appeal for Ghana was revised upwards to 2.5 million Swiss francs (US$ 2.1 million/€ 1.5 million) to include support for Togolese Red Cross emergency operations to distribute food (supplied by the World Food Program), shelter materials, jerrycans, water purification tablets, insecticide-treated bednets, blankets and kitchen sets, to 11,000 people in the northern "Savane" region of the country. According to preliminary assessments, at least 25 people were killed by the flooding in Togo, 100 injured, 100,000 are affected and more than 3,000 families are homeless.

"The northern Savane region is particularly vulnerable - a UN 2006 study showed that 62.7% of people in the region do not have access to adequate food and one third of children under five years old suffer from malnutrition," says Niels Scott. "It will be absolutely vital to get emergency food, as well as seeds and planting tools, to these populations, to fight malnutrition and ensure a proper harvest in early 2008."

Red Cross Societies across the region, working in collaboration with the authorities, have mobilized hundreds of volunteers and staff and used their own emergency stocks, to distribute relief items to flood victims and conduct health education activities on how to avoid the spread of waterborne diseases.

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