Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LOME397
2008-08-01 13:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Lome
Cable title:
UPDATE ON TOGO'S FLOODING SITUATION
how-toO 011300Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY LOME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8689 INFO AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY AMEMBASSY ACCRA AMEMBASSY BAMAKO AMEMBASSY COTONOU AMEMBASSY NIAMEY AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU AMEMBASSY PARIS HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
UNCLAS LOME 000397
ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT MOODY
AID/W FOR OFDA
DAKAR FOR OFDA
DEPT FOR AF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETDR EAID SENV TO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON TOGO'S FLOODING SITUATION
REF: A. LOME 394
B. LOME 391
C. LOME 387
UNCLAS LOME 000397
ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT MOODY
AID/W FOR OFDA
DAKAR FOR OFDA
DEPT FOR AF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETDR EAID SENV TO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON TOGO'S FLOODING SITUATION
REF: A. LOME 394
B. LOME 391
C. LOME 387
1. SUMMARY: France and the UNDP are undertaking evaluation
missions of flood damage. The GOT has held a number of
crisis meetings and has begun to evacuate the population most
at risk. Togo's Disaster Relief Committee has been
activated. The GOT has still not provided the donor
community with the promised list outlining specific emergency
needs. END SUMMARY.
--------------
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
--------------
2. FRANCE: French engineers have been in the country since
July 31 to assist the GOT with damage assessment. A plane
carrying light civil engineering equipment to help with
preliminary bridge surveys is in Togo together with a Puma.
The French have told us that the GOT has already requested
the helicopter remain in Togo for at least another 2-3 days.
3. A French Embassy official told Pol/Mil Officer that
France has not yet decided to what extent it will be able to
assist the Togolese and has made no concrete promises to
rebuild the three washed out bridges on Route 1. He
suggested that all potential donors should be focusing on
obtaining bridges from their respective governments as
nothing was definitive yet from the French side. While the
road infrastructure damage was catastrophic for commerce and
transport, he did not think the situation was catastrophic
yet from a humanitarian standpoint. He offered that the
situation was "less bad then could have been initially
feared."
4. UNDP is also actively assessing the humanitarian
situation on the ground in Togo. UNDP experts deployed
across Togo again on August 1 to continue and update its
assessment of the situation. (Note: The UNDP is a member of
Togo's Disaster Relief Committee-ORSEC. End Note.)
--------------
GOT activities:
--------------
5. MEETINGS: After flying over the flooded area the previous
day (July 30),President Faure convened a "crisis meeting" of
all concerned ministers July 31 to instruct them to get
assistance moving to those needing and focus on repairing the
bridges. The Public Works Minister advised that he was
meeting the same day with contractors to get the gap repaired
on the bridge at Togble Kope twenty kilometers out of town on
the main North/South highway (ref A) and to see what can be
done on the principal bridge washed away farther north at
Amakpave. Participants discussed the water rising in the
eastern parts of Lome, and the President told two ministers
to go to the area right away. A further meeting was held
later the same day to recap where things stand. One concern
was that, until the highway bridges are repaired, food will
start to become scarcer in the capital city, and prices will
rise.
6. In other activity, residents whose homes have been
flooded in the Lome area were evacuated July 31 to several
emergency centers. The Public Works Minister said that his
personnel were working to open up areas isolated by flood
waters elsewhere in the country. At the same time Public
Works personnel are working on alternate routes for vehicle
traffic. One especially sad consequence of the flooding is
that Togo's phosphate mining operation is under water
completely, and damage has been estimated to be particularly
severe. Phosphate is Togo's chief export.
7. ORSEC ACTIVATED: The GOT has activated its Disaster
Relief Committee, ORSEC, on July 31. The Committee, presided
over by the Minister of Security and Civil Protection and
seconded by the Minister of Territorial Administration,
brings together, under one authority, all coordination
efforts for emergencies and catastrophes. The Committee is
currently evaluating Togo's needs and is drawing up a list of
required assistance. The Chief of Togo's Navy told Pol/Mil
Officer on August 1 that he had lent two zodiacs and two
teams of six sailors to the ORSEC committee. The zodiacs he
said, would stay in the coastal region for now and serve to
rescue victims in the Lome-Aneho area.
8. COMMENT: The flooding situation is changing daily. As
water recedes in some areas, overflowing rivers are spilling
over into secondary channels creating new flooding areas. We
will be visiting affected areas over the weekend to determine
whether to issue the Ambassador's Emergency Disaster Relief
cable.
TWINING
ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT MOODY
AID/W FOR OFDA
DAKAR FOR OFDA
DEPT FOR AF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETDR EAID SENV TO
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON TOGO'S FLOODING SITUATION
REF: A. LOME 394
B. LOME 391
C. LOME 387
1. SUMMARY: France and the UNDP are undertaking evaluation
missions of flood damage. The GOT has held a number of
crisis meetings and has begun to evacuate the population most
at risk. Togo's Disaster Relief Committee has been
activated. The GOT has still not provided the donor
community with the promised list outlining specific emergency
needs. END SUMMARY.
--------------
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
--------------
2. FRANCE: French engineers have been in the country since
July 31 to assist the GOT with damage assessment. A plane
carrying light civil engineering equipment to help with
preliminary bridge surveys is in Togo together with a Puma.
The French have told us that the GOT has already requested
the helicopter remain in Togo for at least another 2-3 days.
3. A French Embassy official told Pol/Mil Officer that
France has not yet decided to what extent it will be able to
assist the Togolese and has made no concrete promises to
rebuild the three washed out bridges on Route 1. He
suggested that all potential donors should be focusing on
obtaining bridges from their respective governments as
nothing was definitive yet from the French side. While the
road infrastructure damage was catastrophic for commerce and
transport, he did not think the situation was catastrophic
yet from a humanitarian standpoint. He offered that the
situation was "less bad then could have been initially
feared."
4. UNDP is also actively assessing the humanitarian
situation on the ground in Togo. UNDP experts deployed
across Togo again on August 1 to continue and update its
assessment of the situation. (Note: The UNDP is a member of
Togo's Disaster Relief Committee-ORSEC. End Note.)
--------------
GOT activities:
--------------
5. MEETINGS: After flying over the flooded area the previous
day (July 30),President Faure convened a "crisis meeting" of
all concerned ministers July 31 to instruct them to get
assistance moving to those needing and focus on repairing the
bridges. The Public Works Minister advised that he was
meeting the same day with contractors to get the gap repaired
on the bridge at Togble Kope twenty kilometers out of town on
the main North/South highway (ref A) and to see what can be
done on the principal bridge washed away farther north at
Amakpave. Participants discussed the water rising in the
eastern parts of Lome, and the President told two ministers
to go to the area right away. A further meeting was held
later the same day to recap where things stand. One concern
was that, until the highway bridges are repaired, food will
start to become scarcer in the capital city, and prices will
rise.
6. In other activity, residents whose homes have been
flooded in the Lome area were evacuated July 31 to several
emergency centers. The Public Works Minister said that his
personnel were working to open up areas isolated by flood
waters elsewhere in the country. At the same time Public
Works personnel are working on alternate routes for vehicle
traffic. One especially sad consequence of the flooding is
that Togo's phosphate mining operation is under water
completely, and damage has been estimated to be particularly
severe. Phosphate is Togo's chief export.
7. ORSEC ACTIVATED: The GOT has activated its Disaster
Relief Committee, ORSEC, on July 31. The Committee, presided
over by the Minister of Security and Civil Protection and
seconded by the Minister of Territorial Administration,
brings together, under one authority, all coordination
efforts for emergencies and catastrophes. The Committee is
currently evaluating Togo's needs and is drawing up a list of
required assistance. The Chief of Togo's Navy told Pol/Mil
Officer on August 1 that he had lent two zodiacs and two
teams of six sailors to the ORSEC committee. The zodiacs he
said, would stay in the coastal region for now and serve to
rescue victims in the Lome-Aneho area.
8. COMMENT: The flooding situation is changing daily. As
water recedes in some areas, overflowing rivers are spilling
over into secondary channels creating new flooding areas. We
will be visiting affected areas over the weekend to determine
whether to issue the Ambassador's Emergency Disaster Relief
cable.
TWINING