Benin: as waters continue to rise, UN and partners get aid to neediest
United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations are providing critical humanitarian aid to people affected by floods in Benin over the last month, as rainfall continues to swell the Niger River in the north of the West African country.
“Needs are very high because of the floods. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure the response is as quick and effective as it can be,” said the UN Resident Coordinator in Benin, Nardos Bekele-Thomas.
At least 680,000 people have already been affected by the floods, which started in mid-September. Around 200,000 people, most currently hosted by other families, are in need of shelters, with over 55,000 homes totally destroyed, 128,000 hectares of crops ruined, and 81,000 livestock dead. A total of 55 districts out of 77 in Benin have been affected.
The World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners distributed food aid this weekend to approximately 2,450 vulnerable people living with host families in Zangnanado in the south of the country, one of the worst affected areas.
“Food is one of the most important needs at this stage,” said Moumini Ouedraogo, WFP Country Director in Benin. “Many people lost their crops because of the devastating floods--if we do not intervene in time, the consequences could be serious.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has provided 262,000 water purification tablets and hygiene material for 150,000 people. To support the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided a health kit for treating 1,000 cholera cases over a period of three months.
More aid will be delivered in the days ahead. Approximately 430 tents will be distributed in the Departments of Alibori, Borgou, Collines, Mono and Zou in the coming days by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with its partners on the ground.
According to the latest estimates of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 1.8 million people have been affected by floods in Central and West Africa this year.