The month of October was marked by violent rains causing the Senegal and Gambia rivers to overflow, causing major destruction in the regions of Bakel, Matam, Kédougou and Podor. According to the newspaper “Les Échos”, many houses, fields and public infrastructure, including health centers and schools, were seriously damaged.
Based on “government estimates,” the newspaper said 456 households, or approximately 3,667 people, were affected by this disaster, with more than 56,000 individuals displaced due to flooding. In a bulletin dated November 4, reported by the same daily, Unicef reported that 24 schools in Bakel, 19 in Matam and 30 in Podor were under water, thus depriving more than 18,000 children of access to education, one month after the start of the school year.
The daily does not know the total number of health structures affected by the overflows, but mentions that six health centers in Tamba, as well as the health post of Diamel (Matam) and the health hut of Gourikisamba Diom (Kanel) are flooded. This situation compromises access to basic medical care for hundreds of children and women. In addition, the floods have led to the alteration or disappearance of birth certificates of children from families living in the disaster areas, which could cause serious difficulties in accessing health, education and social protection services. .
The populations of the affected localities are facing an economic and food crisis which promises to be worrying. Thousands of families depend on their agricultural land, still submerged by water. The newspaper estimates that 913.5 hectares of rice fields and 200 hectares of crops such as sorghum, corn and beans are affected by the floods.
Senegal
