AFRICA/TOGO - Over 50,000 people affected by floods in western Africa, while a rise in food prices is feared

Lomé (Agenzia Fides) - More than 50,000 people in various West African countries have been affected by floods. 10,000 people have been forced from their homes in Togo and the country's trade links with Burkina Faso have been disrupted after the rains made several bridges unusable. The rising waters of the Senegal River have displaced about 4,600 people in southern Mauritania. In Mali, at least six people are reported to have died because of the floods.
It is feared that with the destruction of the fields and crops, in addition to the transportation systems, another rise in food prices will result, affecting the entire population of the area. Last year’s floods and escalating costs of agricultural products and fuel on the international market have already led to a food emergency. The worst situation is in the landlocked countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, which are having to face even higher transportation costs in importing food.
In order to avoid similar emergency situations in the future, there should be a greater investment in local agriculture and a boost in the internal transportation infrastructures. In an editorial article in the “Republic of Togo,” it states that the destruction of the infrastructure from the rains has been a national disaster. The article also mentions that the embargo on international aid for 15 years was already placing the public infrastructure in a precarious position. The newspaper calls for less waste and embezzlement of funds in rebuilding the road ways, and an emphasis on their quality. Healthy governing is the only means to avoiding or reducing the damages caused by nature. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 1/8/2008)