CERF has allocated $1.4 million for 50,000 people affected by floods in Togo
26 November 2010: Close to $472,000 has been allocated to the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food assistance for flood victims. Some $461,000 has gone to the World Health Organization (WHO) to respond to disease outbreaks such as cholera and malaria. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has received $333,000 to provide water and sanitation services for affected populations in Lomé and Maritime regions, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will use $116,000 to identify affected households and provide agricultural assistance for 1,000 households affected by floods.
The increase in rainfall over the past four years (2007-2010) in Togo has particularly increased the risk of flooding. For the month of September 2010, the city of Lomé recorded 314 percent surplus in rainfall. Floods have now become cyclical and have affected all regions of the country.
The risk of disease outbreaks is high, especially cholera, diarrheal diseases and malaria, due to a lack of access to clean water. Women and children are at particularly high risk.
The floods have caused loss of human life, serious injuries and extensive damage: over 10,000 homes are flooded, collapsed or abandoned and over 7,000 hectares of fields and crops are devastated.