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UN emergency humanitarian plan prepared for flood-hit people in Burkina Faso

08 September 2010 02:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that an Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan has been prepared to cover the needs of more than 100,000 people affected by flooding in Burkina Faso, a UN spokesman said here, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

The plan seeks slightly more than 14 million U.S. dollars over six months for life-saving activities, as well as to help affected populations regain their dignity and livelihoods, the UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, told reporters here.

Since early July, the Sahel region has been successively hit by heavy rains and severe flooding, resulting in casualties and significant damage. Residents in flooded areas have lost their homes, livestock and belongings, and infrastructure has suffered significant damage. Some villages are still inaccessible by land, reports said.

Flooding, which occurred on the night of Aug. 31, is estimated to have affected more than 150,000 people in the capital of Ouagadougou.

People living in the capital have been particularly affected by the floods, and 110,000 people are now sheltering in schools and other public buildings, reports said. A further 40,000 are staying with relatives or neighbors.

Villages in the north-central region of the country are also experiencing flooding although the number affected is unclear at this stage. In response to the emergency, the government of Burkina Faso has launched an appeal for international aid.