TOGO FLOODS: GOT/UN EVALUATION REPORT

UNCLAS LOME 000405 AID/W FOR OFDA DAKAR FOR OFDA ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT USUN FOR SHANKS ROME FOR USAID/OHA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SENV TO SUBJECT: TOGO FLOODS: GOT/UN EVALUATION REPORT REF: A. LOME 400 ¶B. LOME 401 ¶1. Summary. A joint evaluation concludes that the flooding is serious, though not catastrophic. Heavy rains are underway in northern Togo that merit continued attention. Donors are committing to assistance. End Summary. ¶2. UNDP convened a meeting of international donors August 5 to present the conclusions of a joint GOT/UN System evaluation report on the recent floods in Togo. A mission visited six key parts of the affected area. It found data difficult to pin down but concluded that as many as 20,000 persons, and perhaps more, have been directly affected by the flooding, resulting in six deaths, three missing persons, and nine bridges down, with others in bad condition. Attention is focused currently on the downstream area of Togo near the Benin border, where the Zio River pours into a rising Lake Togo and the large Mono River comes out nearby. (An EmbOff will be visiting the area August 6). The WFP representative presenting the conclusions also urged participants to watch carefully the rains now falling in northern Togo. The city of Kara is already having twice the rainfall this year as last, and the Savanes area toward Burkina is having heavy rains. ¶3. The evaluation team mentioned current concerns: potable water and contaminated wells, health issues, crop damage (particularly along rivers, but varying, with resulting price increases in staples),housing, the overall economic impact (importance of the port to inland West Africa, the deterioration of alternate land routes),school furnishings. Mention was made of the numbers of displaced persons currently sheltering in area schools, including the large camp at Baguida, just outside Lome, which the Togolese Armed Forces are running very effectively. ¶4. Following presentation of the report, donor support was reviewed: -- France. Engineers are uncertain how much weight of trucks the railroad bridge next to the washed out large bridge at Amakpave will be able to carry. He advised that the Kpalime-Atakpame bypass road will not carry heavy traffic much longer, and laterite has been put on a second bypass road Agou-Notse as reinforcement. Restoration of the North/South highway is imperative, not least of which for transport of food. A French helicopter transporting Togolese goods is departing country August 5. (We mentioned that a Ghanaian military helicopter is remaining in country for the same purpose for another week, ref B. No Togolese military helicopters seem to be operable.) -- U.S. We reported submitting a disaster declaration August 4 and are awaiting a response from Washington. -- Germany. A German Red Cross representative is in country, and the government expects to provide some 50,000 euros. -- EU. It sees the problem mainly as a flash flood type of situation, with water now going down. It is assisting the Togolese Red Cross and considering switching some money for road projects to support road repair. -- ECOWAS. The organization is very concerned about the impact on the Sahel countries. (Note that an ECOWAS delegation is currently visiting to make its own evaluation.) -- West African Development Bank. The Bank has committed to financing the rebuilding on the key Amakpave bridge on Route One. -- CRS, ADRA, CARITAS. All expect to provide some emergency financing for supplies and foodstuffs. -- WFP. 2,500 tons of food are currently arriving for assistance to the far North, and authorization is being sought to divert 400 tons for emergency use, for later replacement. -- UNICEF. Some items are on hand, which can be provided. The organization is also looking at food needs for the very young. -- World Bank. Some crisis funds are available. -- UNFPA. Both limited funding and hygiene kits are being provided. -- WHO. It has already provided Health authorities with some supplies and has been promised $45,000 from headquarters. -- UNDP. It is tapping into some emergency funding. It also concludes that the crisis is not as bad as originally feared. -- FAO. While not contributing anything, the representative asked participants to bear in mind the need for seeds to enable farmers to do a second planting of corn to replace destroyed fields. TWINING