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Guinea Floods (Nzerekoré): Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) DREF Operation n° MDRGN010

Countries
Guinea
Sources
IFRC
Publication date

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

On 4 July 2017, heavy rainfall hit the forest region of Guinea in the Prefecture of Nzerekore causing serious property damages. Areas which suffered considerable damages are all located in the urban district area of Nzerekore and they include: Quartier commercial, Kwitiapolou, Wessoua, Dorota 1, Horaya, Gbanghana, Belle-Vue and Nyeh. The assessment has reportedly found out that there are currently 13 injured persons and 55 families pushed to seek shelter in public infrastructures. 2 cases of diarrhoea and 13 cases of fever are equally recorded amongst the displaced persons.

According to the joint Red Cross - government assessments 3,274 people were affected (i.e. 545 households) of which 1,038 men; 1,089 women; and 1,147 children. All affected areas had suffered from the previous Ebola crisis in 2014 -2015 and the poor health situation prevailing in the country.
The current Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is launched to support the Guinea Red Cross with CHF 165,801 to respond to the immediate needs for 545 households, with specific interventions in the areas of emergency relief, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion for a period of three months.

Summary of current response

Overview of Host National Society

The Red Cross Society of Guinea (RCSG) was founded in 1984, after the earthquake in Kumbia in December 1983, recognized by presidential decree and by the International Committee of the Red Cross in October 1986 and became a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that same year. Since then, the RCSG has constituted a network of active sections, which carry out community health activities (particularly as regards water, sanitation and hygiene), the management and prevention of disasters, first aid training and restoring family links.

Furthermore, activities in communication, youth engagement, as well as shelter have been undertaken since the country took in refugees from the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The Guinea RC has 17,124 volunteers throughout the country and some 5,000 fee-paying members. The headquarters is in Conakry and the services are provided through 33 prefectural committees, 5 communal committees in Conakry and 202 sub-prefectural committees throughout the country. There are also five community teams and two national disaster response teams. The National Society has significant experience with flood response and has a contingency plan for floods and a network of trained volunteers who are available and can quickly be deployed as required.

Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in country and Movement Coordination

The IFRC Guinea country delegation has extensive technical and material resources. The country cluster has provided support to the Guinea Red Cross, specifically with the simultaneous response to the EVD epidemic through the MDRGN007 Emergency Appeal since 2014. ICRC, French and Danish Red Cross Societies have in-country presence. British, Swiss and the American Red Cross Societies are also providing a bilateral support to the NS through Disaster Management and Health programmes although they are not physically present in Guinea.

Since 5 July 2017, Guinea Red Cross in collaboration with the National Platform in charge of humanitarian issues (SENAH in acronym) carried out a joint rapid emergency assessment to evaluate the level of damages caused by the disaster in the 8 affected quarters of the urban area on Nzerekore. The assessment was possible thanks to the deployment of 36 Red Cross volunteers dispatched in 6 teams who at the same time were providing first aid to the injured persons, including evacuation to the nearest health facilities.