Monrovia — In a recent report, Human Rights Watch highlighted the dire condition of displaced people in the Khar Yalla community in Senegal. For years, residents who were displaced by coastal flooding have been living in a site unfit for human habitation. In this interview with AllAfrica's Boakai Fofana, Human Rights Watch's Climate Displacement Researcher, Erica Bower, detailed their findings while calling for urgent action from Senegalese authorities and the World Bank.
What is the most important thing you want people to know about the conditions for displaced people in Khar Yalla?
Thanks for the question. I guess the top line is that Khar Yalla is not fit for human habitation, yet people have been living there for nearly a decade. We are seeing serious violations of the right to adequate housing. The site is severely overcrowded, all but one house lacks electricity, and there is no waste collection or garbage disposal.
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Most poignantly, it's a flood zone. This is a population originally displaced by floods, and now they are living in a place that floods every single rainy season, with septic water and garbage entering their homes.
Furthermore, they have insecure tenure. Households only have temporary, revocable permits and no permission to modify or expand their houses as their families grow. They are also cut off from essential services and livelihoods, violating their rights to an adequate standard of living, education, and health. There is no public school, no clinic, and no employment opportunities. The loss of income is so dramatic that families can not even afford transportation to reach the nearest services.
What is the scale of this problem? How many people are affected?
We are talking about approximately 1,000 people living across 68 houses.
What has been the response from the authorities when you approached them?
The response has been concerning. Many authorities were simply unaware that this population even existed. Those who did know often didn't believe they were from the communities displaced by the original floods, or they claimed the community fell outside the scope of existing World Bank-funded projects. Essentially, they have been treated as out of sight, out of mind—not a priority.
Is this neglect, or is there a systemic form of discrimination at play?
We haven't observed systemic discrimination. It appears this population has truly fallen through the cracks. There are also challenges at the local level, where mayors and municipal authorities lack the capacity to respond, which has exacerbated the problem.
Senegal is considered a leader on climate displacement. Why wouldn't they be applying that expertise here?
That's a great question. It seems to be an oversight. We hope that by shining a spotlight on this community through our report, Senegal will step up and take immediate action to rectify this situation.
I am sure there are specific institutions in Senegal responsible for dealing with this issue. Have you interacted with them? What has been their response?
Yes, ADM (Municipal Development Agency) is a national agency that has the mandate as of now, but climate-related anticipatory plan relocations are new. It's new in Senegal, and it's new globally. So despite best intentions, ADM doesn't yet have all the protocols in place, all the resources in place, they're learning just as anyone is in this context, and that's to be understandable for anyone, any country.
What specific policy shifts do you want to see from Senegal and the World Bank?
We need policy reforms to prevent this from happening again, both nationally and globally. For Senegal, we need a national policy on internally planned relocation that protects the rights of people displaced by climate hazards. This policy must learn from the mistakes made at Khar Yalla, prioritize people in protracted displacement, and ensure they are moved only when their current situation involves ongoing human rights violations.
For the World Bank, its current resettlement policies are copied from development projects like dams, but climate relocations are fundamentally different. They need new approaches for identifying beneficiaries that prioritize those displaced the longest, not just those in a pre-defined project zone.
In the absence of action, how are residents getting by?
It's a dire situation. In the immediate term, authorities must improve conditions in Khar Yalla by installing electricity, improving sanitation, and subsidizing transportation so children can get to school and people can access hospitals and livelihoods.
In the medium term, authorities must relocate these families to an adequate site where their rights are respected. Most importantly, the families in Khar Yalla must be meaningfully consulted. They are incredible activists with clear visions for what their community needs, and their voices must be heard and taken seriously.
Is this an isolated case, or is it part of a broader pattern in Senegal?
This is part of a broader pattern. Globally, over 400 communities have already relocated or are planning to relocate due to climate disasters. In Senegal itself, parts of Dakar and the Palmarin commune in the Fatick region are also facing disaster-related relocations.
And what can you say to other countries along the coast in West Africa? They ought to look at some of the challenges Senegal is confronted with and maybe pay heed to the recommendations of your report?
Absolutely. We want every country with the coastline, globally and in West Africa, to take note of the challenges that Senegal's facing, but also the leadership that they're demonstrating in taking these issues seriously. They have, of course, experienced some challenges, but there's also some lessons learned here, and we encourage other governments to really prioritize this issue before too much time proceeds, because we know it's only going to become more intense and more frequent and more complicated as climate change accelerates.
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How much of a problem do you think it might have been for the authorities in Senegal, considering the fact that they just they had a transition. Did that affect their actions?
Yes, and also Covid, for example. There are a lot of delays and limitations on funding budgets for stress and strain. I think that's absolutely a factor. But also, this is a challenge that to date has been addressed primarily at the local level, and we need to have national-level leadership here, especially given that the new administration really does prioritize human rights and prioritize climate adaptation. Now is the moment for Senegal to shine as a leader on the global stage by addressing the rights of Khar Yallah people and also developing national policies that protect the climate-displaced
What is your final word on this matter?
We call on Senegal to demonstrate its leadership on climate and human rights by addressing the crisis in Khar Yallah and developing national policies that protect the displaced. We also call on every coastal country, particularly in West Africa, to learn from both the challenges and the leadership Senegal is demonstrating. This issue will only intensify with climate change, and the rights of displaced communities must be front and center in all policies.
