Floods in Niger;
Credit: Luxembourg Red Cross
Following the floods that hit the Sahel region at end of August, the Luxembourg Red Cross teams have mobilised in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad to set up emergency shelters for the region's many homeless families.
To address the many needs of hundreds of thousands displaced in the region, the Luxembourg Red Cross has stressed the need for stronger support.
Prosper Zombre, Head of Mission for the Luxembourg Red Cross in Niger, warned: "Many have lost what few possessions they had. Families took refuge in schools. But with the start of the new school year, the situation can no longer continue". The situation is becoming increasingly tense in the country, with more than 432,000 people affected and 36,000 homes destroyed, according to the Niger Ministry of Humanitarian Action.
The Luxembourg Red Cross is supporting the Regional Red Cross Committee of Niamey, which has mobilised its volunteers and started distributing 100 emergency shelters this week. The Head of Mission continued: "These stocks enable us to provide shelter for some of the families, but it simply isn’t enough to meet needs of such magnitude".
The situation in neighbouring countries is similar to that in Niger: Burkina Faso experienced major damage due to flooding and strong winds. The scale of the situation led the government to declare a state of natural disaster at the Council of Ministers on 8 September 2020. To date, thirteen people have died, 50 were injured and 563 have been made homeless. The material damage is also significant: more than 3,300 houses were destroyed, 1,600 damaged and nearly 1,800 emergency shelters used by internally displaced persons destroyed or damaged.
In N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, more than 6,000 shelters were destroyed, leaving 5,800 people in need of shelter. Here too, families have found refuge in schools or with other families. Clara Bretin from the Chad desk at the Luxembourg Red Cross explained: "Those displaced need everything: shelter, latrines, hygiene kits. We are organising ourselves to be able to help them as a matter of urgency".
The Luxembourg Red Cross’ presence in the countries of the Sahel region has enabled it to quickly mobilise to help the local population following the floods. In Niger, where the Luxembourg Red Cross has been present since 2012, emergency brigades immediately mobilised and warned families. Beyond Niger, Luxembourg Red Cross teams have been mobilised in Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad. They are organising themselves with the other stakeholders present in the field in order to provide the best possible assistance to the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the floods.
