Flooding in West Africa Affects 600,000
by TAMMY ROSECRANS, Causecast Editor
This summer’s rainy season has been unusually severe for several countries in West Africa. Currently, there is massive flooding affecting nearly 600,000 and claiming more than 150 lives thus far. The countries of Sierra Leone, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger have been the hardest hit regions since the rains began in June of this year.
Last week, over 10 inches of rain fell in Burkina Faso – a quarter of the country’s average annual rainfall in little more than 12 hours. Over 150,000 are left homeless in this region, leading to an influx of individuals dependent on schools and community centers for shelter. Due to overcrowding in these shelters, men have been forced to sleep outside thus running the risk of contracting diseases such as malaria carried by mosquitoes that flourish in the stagnant water.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is working hard to provide emergency rations to those effected by the flooding, passing out food to approximately 50,000 since Friday. WFP hopes to provide food to 125,000 victims in Burkina Faso among other nations.
Find out how you can help the WFP in their efforts to provide food to the hundreds of thousands affected by the floods. The most important thing you can do to help is spread the word since this crisis and other global food emergencies don’t seem to get much media coverage. If you’re able to, you can also donate online.
Photo by sidelife, flickr.
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Environment, Health, Human Rights
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