ReliefWeb

Description of the disaster

The Region of Hodh Ech Chargui and especially the departments of Bassiknou, Amourj and the district of Adel Bagrou, recorded heavy rainfall, up to 250 mm, during the month of August 2020. The event aggravated the vulnerability situation of many families, already affected by protracted and new crises, such as food insecurity and COVID-19 pandemic.

According to primary and secondary data, about 9,282 people were affected by floods, with three deaths recorded.
Several families were left homeless due to the collapse of houses and took refuge in host families, sheds or in already damaged houses. Several agricultural fields were also destroyed and several livestock decimated, causing a great loss of livelihood. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), through the Sahel Country Cluster, launched a DREF operation on 14 September 2020, for CHF 352,784 to address the urgent needs of 5,688 people (948 households) most affected by the floods in Bassiknou.

Based on a detailed assessment conducted by the National Society between 30 October and 6 November, the updated situation is as follows:

• exposure of affected communities to waterborne diseases, due to stagnant water resulting from floods;

• insufficient water storages at household level;

• lack of hygiene infrastructures;

• lack of waste management and sewage;

• low level of hygiene of nomadic population leaving in the zone of intervention and therefore difficult to reach with sensitization actions;

• need of food assistance as a consequence of livelihood and livestock loss;

• need for household items damaged by the floods.