AFRICA - One and a half million people in Africa affected by worst floods in decades: concerning situation from west to east

Rome (Agenzia Fides)- At least 1.5 million Africans are affected by floods which have devastated vast areas of the continent since country since July according to UN humanitarian agencies. The World Food Programme says the floods are the worst in 12 years. “The floods across Africa are considered the worst in recent decades and the extend from Mauritania in the west to Kenya in the east” a WFP report affirms.
Humanitarian organisations say the areas most affected are in west Africa where 500,000 people who rely on international aid are in 18 different countries, especially Togo, Ghana, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and in some parts of Nigeria. In Togo 60,000 people need emergency food supplies, WFP said. To make things worse heavy rains destroyed a greater part of the most fertile land, crushed 30,000 homes and some dams. In Ghana 75,000 people are homeless: some spend the night in schools but leave in the day time to allow pupils to follow lessons. In Benin, the waters have destroyed at least 50 villages forcing 43,000 people to flee their homes.
East Sudan is the country most in difficulty: 500,000 people are directly affected and at least 200,000 are homeless (see Fides 10 July 2007). In Uganda President Yoweri Museveni declared a state of emergency in the northern and eastern regions of the country where at least 300,000 people have been affected by torrential rains. The local press in Uganda underlines that this is the first time the President has applied article 110 of the Constitution which foresees a declaration of a state of emergency. This article has never been applied before not even for the Gulu district devastated by the Lord's Resistance Army LRA during more than 20 years of civil war (see Fides 29 April 2004). The Ugandan constitution says the President may declare a state of emergency in the case of war, civil insurrection or natural disaster. Parliament must approve the state of emergency within two weeks of its proclamation. The leader of the Opposition has said he will support the President's decision. In some of the affected areas 80% of the land is under water: and most crops in the area have been destroyed. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 20/9/2007 righe 30 parole 391)