The Gambia suffered the worst flooding "in nearly half a century" last month, killing 11 people and displacing more than 5,000, the national disaster management agency said in a report on Thursday.
Flooding following heavy rainfall on July 30 and 31 in the tiny West African country "directly affected" at least 40,000 people, including more than 8,000 children under the age of five.
But they have undoubtedly had an impact on hundreds of thousands of people in total, estimated this organization. According to the water resources department, 276 millimeters of rain fell in two days in the capital Banjul .
"Urban constructions in the suburbs were the most affected," the agency said, adding that 11 people were killed and 5,407 displaced. "Hundreds of houses have been completely or partially damaged and cannot be lived in without risk ," she added.
"The last historic floods date back to 1948 ," the agency said. Significant floods had occurred in 1988, 1999, 2002, 2010, 2020 and 2022. "This shows that the frequency of flash floods and climate-related shocks are becoming increasingly persistent ," she said.
In the Greater Banjul area, hundreds of water points and thousands of sanitation facilities have been affected by the floods and throughout the city the water appears "between yellowish and greenish and gives off a bad smell" .
"Numerous" cases of diarrhea and skin rashes have been reported in the Tobacco Road area and according to the agency there is a "very high" risk of water-borne illnesses. Stagnant waters have also attracted reptiles to certain neighborhoods, "exposing the population to danger" .
During a visit to affected neighborhoods last week, President Adama Barrow pledged $46 million for a new sewer project, which he hopes will be completed by the end of the year, media reported. local.
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AFRICA-AUSTRALIA UPDATE