By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — The Burkina Faso government says thousands of flood-displaced families have till November 30th to leave temporary camps that were set up throughout the capital Ouagadougou.
In September severe flooding in Ouagadougou claimed more than 14 lives and left over 150,000 people homeless. Over 10 inches of rainfall was reported on the capital city, the heaviest 12-hour period since 1953. In reaction to the floods, the government, along with the UN and aid agencies, set up temporary housing throughout the capital for those left homeless.
“It will be difficult to leave and relocate at this point,” said Jean Baptiste Bambara, one of some 14,000 displaced people the UN estimates are living at the 18 sites. “Many people do not have homes to go to and living with relatives would place too great a burden.”
The government has designated 15,000 plots of land where displaced families are to relocate, and will give cash and materials to help people rent or build homes, according to officials. “Naturally the deadline will not be the same [for those without any options],” said Housing and Urbanism Minister Vincent Dabilgou. But he said people can live in tents at the new designated sites as they await construction of new homes.
The government is to provide 50,000 CFA francs (US$114) to those who were renting and 280,000 CFA francs in money and building materials to people who lost their own houses to the flooding.
Displaced resident Bambara echoed many other displaced people in saying that the amounts are insufficient. “Many flood victims do not work; the government must help us with more money.”
The government says the project as planned will require about 8 billion CFA francs ($18 million). The money is coming from the government as well as private and public donors to a national fund set up to help flood victims.
The World Food Programme will provide food aid to people upon their departure from the camps, Annalisa Conte, WFP head in Burkina Faso, told IRIN. “We will give a ration that will cover two months of their food needs – cereals, beans, vegetable oil, sugar and fortified food blend for the children.”
Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African country considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world and is ranked 174 of 177 according to the Human Development Index. Burkina Faso has almost half of its population under the poverty line. For every 3.4 children, one will die by the age of 10. These alarming figures have been exacerbated due to the effects of September’s floods.
For more information, please see:
IRIN – Coping With Urban Flood-Displaced – 26 November 2009
Lawrentian – Speaker Brings the Reality of Poverty in Burkina Faso to LU – 13 November 2009
PRNewswire- Barcelona FC Inaugurates a New XICS in Burkina Faso to Offer Comprehensive Attention to More Than 100 Children – 16 November 2009
Reliefweb – IDB Delivers First Batch of Emergency Relief to Flood Victims in Burkina Faso – 09 November 2009
