The Director of Communications of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) is currently attending a five-day ECOWAS Member States workshop on Post-floods Needs Assessment in Lomé, Togo.
Charged with Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Management, the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs is organizing a regional consultation workshop with key sector players within Member States to analyze their assessment reports on flooding for 2022 and better understand the impacts, humanitarian needs, capacities gaps and vulnerabilities of the 2022 flood incidents.
In 2022, the West Africa region experienced devastating rainfalls that pushed vulnerable families deep into crisis, impacted hygiene and sanitation and increased the incidence of water-borne diseases. The resultant floods took a significant toll on human life, property, farmlands, and livestock, killing and injuring thousands of people and displacing millions.
This exacerbated the challenges experienced by many of the affected communities who were already struggling with insecurity, high levels of malnutrition, and climate change effects. The Member States of ECOWAS have made commendable efforts to support the affected communities to cope, however, the frequency and scale of the incidents, call for additional support in restoring/improving the living conditions of the stricken communities, and to reduce their risk of flood disasters.
The Director of the Humanitarian and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission, Sintigi Tafa Ubge while making her opening statement, welcomed delegates and participants and noted that the first part of the workshop which started today will focus on the impact of the flood disasters of 2022 and ECOWAS post-flood strategy to accompany Member States to assist the affected population.
Mrs. Ugbe further mentioned that the ECOWAS Commission foresees the need to have technical conversations with relevant ministries and agencies from Member States for the right approach towards accompanying the affected populations through the recovery and reintegration process.
“We must not forget the huge impact of flooding on food security. Flooding degrades the environment and destroys crops, farm settlements, livestock and seedling stores. This reduces harvest and affects the next planting season, culminating in food shortages.”
She continued: “In view of these consequences, national and local authorities, including Civil Protection and Disaster Management Agencies, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations must work together towards a coordinated response. You may recall that ECOWAS supported some affected Member States with assistance to recover from the 2020 flood impacts while responding to the acute needs of the most vulnerable and displaced people and helping communities recover as quickly as possible.” She pointed out.
Representing the NDMA in the workshop, Director of Communication, Mohamed L. Bah noted that in line with the ECOWAS humanitarian agenda, it is critical to work with Member States and relevant partners to develop models to assist victims recover from humanitarian crises and get reintegrated back into their societies.
“It is important to promote a preparedness and response approach that is linked to preventive activities to reinforce the response capacities to the flood and food crises,” he said.
NDMA’s Director of Communications today joined other colleagues within the region to adequately discuss and identify priorities in the gap between emergency relief and sustainable recovery to the 2022 flood disasters in Member States.
Mr Bah is expected to do a presentation on the overall flood situation in Sierra Leone and emphasize the significant role of ECOWAS to support Member States in strengthening community resilience to flood disasters in an integrated and multi-sector approach.
