Dakar — Torrential rains have unleashed catastrophic floods in West and Central Africa, affecting over four million people in 14 countries - the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warns. The worrying spike in humanitarian needs comes amid a regional hunger crisis already affecting 55 million people - four times more people than five years ago. National governments are on the frontlines of this crisis, with WFP's support providing critical food and nutrition assistance to nearly one million people across the region.
"Fourteen countries are seeing rising floodwaters, thousands of homes crumbling, large swathes of farmland destroyed, as hunger looms large. A regional crisis of this nature needs a regional response to urgently save lives and safeguard the livelihoods of flood-hit groups. WFP is working with national governments in the region to ensure affected people can get back on their feet," said Margot Van der Velden, WFP's Regional Director for Western Africa.
In Nigeria's Maiduguri, WFP rapidly set up food kitchens in four camps after flooding overran 50 percent of the town. WFP kitchens provide nutritious cooked rice and beans to flood-affected families forced to flee their homes. In Chad, Liberia, Mali, and Niger, WFP is providing emergency food and cash assistance to people in hard-hit areas. This crucial assistance enables affected families to meet their basic food and nutrition needs while they try to rebuild their lives.
In parallel to emergency assistance to flood-hit families, WFP is calling for investments in early warning systems, anticipatory actions, disaster risk financing and social protection systems that have the potential to help mitigate flood and other climate risks, can help build adaptive capacity, and boost the resilience of communities exposed to recurrent shocks of this type.
"Anticipatory actions are a critical key to unlocking more efficient, effective and forward-looking humanitarian assistance. It can save lives, uphold the dignity of people, and provide meaningful financial investment opportunities," Van der Velden said.
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With farming and livestock activities disrupted, the floods are likely to worsen the region's already dire food security situation, exacerbating the vulnerability of flood-hit communities. Strengthening anticipatory actions and expanding disaster risk financing can help mitigate the impact of climate shocks of at-risk communities and build the resilience of those affected so that when the next floods hit, people are better prepared to cope.
In Niger for example, WFP's anticipatory actions target 200,000 of the most at-risk people with early-warning messages and other essential information through community radios and text messages. In Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, WFP is working closely with governments to ensure that future emergency responses build on existing social safety nets, align with or expand existing social protection programmes, and use existing national registries to target affected populations.
WFP is also collaborating with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to implement the African Integrated Climate Risk Management Programme (AICRM) project in seven Sahelian countries. This project helps build the resilience of farmers and communities by improving and expanding microinsurance opportunities for farmers to help compensate for the impact climate-related shocks when they strike.
WFP urgently requires US$ 16 million to continue providing emergency food and nutrition assistance to flood-affected families across the region, alongside support to capacity building efforts for national governments.
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