Disaster relief teams have fanned out across West Africa to assess how badly the region was hit during the past month of heavy rains. Tens of thousands were affected in Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, Liberia and Mauritania according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA).

In Niger, more than 40,000 thousand people were affected by heavy rains which started on 14 July. In the country’s second most populated city, Zinder, hundreds are camping in the local elementary school.

Nobert Allale, a disaster relief manager at the Dakar-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), says schools are a refuge for those without family or money to rent a new home.

Allale visited Zinder on 22 July, one week after the rains first hit. “The situation is stable now. Families have been given water and food. We are now in the process of distributing mosquito nets, pots and pans. We are past the emergency response phase.”

Allale says there is no plan in place yet for where these families will go once the school year begins October, “We need to look to long-term solutions. We know the rains will come. We cannot blame nature alone for these annual catastrophes. It is nature plus man’s inability to adapt. People live in mud homes in flood-prone areas. If they build on the same site year after year… this is what happens.”

In Togo, heavy rainfall has led to bridge collapse, and cut off most of the cell phone network. A team from the International Monetary Fund is expected 27 August to review flood damage as a part of its more than US$60 million commitment.

Major donors cut off most aid to Togo during recent years of bloody tumult, which included allegedly rigged elections and army crackdowns that sent thousands fleeing to neighbouring countries.

Donors are slowly coming back following Togo’s 2007 legislative election, which monitors said was mostly free and fair.

According to the World Bank, Togo has accrued more than US$100 million in debt since 2002 from past World Bank loans.

The European Union recently approved a five-year more than US$180 million loan, which will partly go toward rebuilding the country’s infrastructure.

Elsewhere in West Africa, Liberian government officials have said recent storms are the worst in recent history. They say heavy rainfall and construction on wetlands have pushed out about 1,000 from their homes.

Disaster relief coordinator Allale says IFRC is training a rapid response team of 10 members from throughout West Africa to be based in Niamey, from where they will be able to quickly reach an emergency.

“We learned from our mistakes last year when not all the disaster response staff had visas to get into emergency areas. This year, IFRC has paid for the visas in advance so the team will not be held up with paperwork. We are learning.”

IRIN 

Action Aid Kudang office recently donated 50 bags of rice to the victims of the windstorm at Sotokoi, Mamut Fana and Bamba Kolong in Niamina East district in Central River Region South. The relief assistance is worth about D45,000.

Presenting the donated items on behalf of the development area manager, the programme officer, Mr. Raymond Jatta, expressed sympathy to the victims about the damages caused by the storm. He pointed out that the assistance will not only help restore conditions in the affected areas but also reverse some of the damage caused by the windstorm.

For his part, the Head Chief, Alh. Kebba Touray, commended Action Aid for their kind gesture in giving humanitarian aid to the needy. According to him, the donated items will not only improve conditions but will go a long way in complimenting government efforts in assisting the needy.

The APEX treasurer, Mr. Saikuba Ceesay, thanked Action Aid for the benevolent support and assured them that the donated items will be put to good use.

In an effort to mitigate the negative impact of climate change, new funding by European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) will help bolster disaster risk reduction and community resilience in Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi and the Comoros.

A statement released on 23 July said the EC had extended the scope of its disaster preparedness programme (DIPECHO) with a new allocation of €5 million (US$7.8 million) for the four southern African countries.

"This is an important step in supporting communities that are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Experience shows that many lives can be saved if people know what precautions to take and how to react when the disaster strikes," Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said in the statement.

"Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi and the Comoros all suffer the serious effects of tropical storms that develop in the Indian Ocean. This type of action is especially important in a context of rising food prices and climate change," Michel noted.

More storms on the horizon

"The number of extreme weather events has increased sharply in recent years. Climate change already seems to be having a serious humanitarian impact," John Clancy, spokesman for Commissioner Michel, told IRIN.

"The decision to extend it [DIPECHO] to the southwest Indian Ocean reflects an unfortunate reality: more cyclones are occurring in that area, causing ever more structural damage and serious flooding," Clancy said.
According to the 2007 Annual Disaster Statistical Review, published by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED): "Last year's number of reported disasters confirmed the global upward trend in natural disaster occurrence. This upward trend is mainly driven by the increase in the number of reported hydro-meteorological disasters."

In Mozambique, catastrophic flooding in 2000 left up to 800 dead; in 2007 dozens of people were killed, and the country is yet to recover from floods in January 2008.

Over 100 people died when Madagascar was hit by cyclones Fame, Jokwe and Ivan earlier in 2008. The powerful winds, heavy rains and flooding affected over 340,000 people, of whom 190,000 lost their homes.

Cyclone Indhala, which hit Madagascar in 2007, caused over $240 million worth of destruction, according to CRED statistics. Altogether, there were six cyclones in 2007 - the worst year on record - while drought in the parched south has persisted for several years.

Malawi, also hit by floods earlier this year, has turned a corner since 2005, when drought left close to five million people in need of food aid, but the country remains particularly exposed to dry spells and food insecurity.

According to The Climate Change Risk Report by Maplecroft, a UK-based firm that specialises in risk mapping, at the beginning of July, Comoros was the country most vulnerable to the future impacts of global warming, such as increased storms, rising sea levels and agricultural failure.

Weathering the storm

"The funding targets communities that are already vulnerable because of extreme poverty, isolation due to weak infrastructure and difficult communications, and in Malawi and Mozambique, the high incidence of HIV and AIDS," Clancy said.

"The increase in extreme climatic events keeps such communities in a state of constant quasi-emergency, and does not allow them to establish the long-term coping mechanisms they need to allow real development to take off."

Investing in preparedness would not only save lives and relieve suffering, "it also means that limited resources can be used more effectively - the cost of good preparation is a lot less than the cost of clearing up the mess afterwards," Clancy commented.

It pays to prepare "bottom-up"

"Important lessons were learned from the big floods in Mozambique in 2000 and 2001, when hundreds died. The floods of 2007 were of a similar magnitude and in the same area, but the government and actors on the ground were much better prepared," Clancy said.

With the capacity of the Mozambican national disaster management authority (INGC) greatly boosted by 2007, contingency plans for pre-positioning essential relief items and evacuations were put in place. "Around 230,000 people were displaced and/or lost their livelihoods, but large-scale fatalities were avoided," Clancy said.

While bolstering the INGC was a "top-down" approach, the new funds would be more "bottom-up", targeting communities and helping them to organise themselves and be able to take measures to preserve their livelihoods.
According to the EC statement, various types of programmes would be supported, "including practical training in disaster response for community groups and institutions, early warning systems, public information campaigns and small-scale infrastructure works".

"In Madagascar, it has been calculated that a child living in a disaster-prone area loses on average one full school year due to lack of access to or destruction of their schools," Clancy said.

The new funds would assist communities by establishing cyclone- and flood-resistant schools and clinics, "which can also serve as shelters for the community, and by funding the acquisition of small boats, for example, which allow children to continue to access their schools even in heavily flooded areas."

The statement also said implementation of these projects should begin in October 2008, before the onset of the next cyclone season around December.

IRIN 

Thirteen people are missing from a boat believed to have sunk off Madagascar's Sainte Marie island on Thursday. Several Chinese people were on board, as well as some from Madagascar. Two crewmembers are safely rescued.

There appears to be one man from the Chinese mainland on board. Xinhua reports that there are also eight from Taiwan, and all are businessmen. In addition there are four crewmembers left, with two others rescued. The crew were all locals.

The boat had left Sainte Marie to travel 100km North to Masoala so that the businessmen could inspect some fishery assets. According to what Xinhua described as "a reliable source" at around 8:40 p.m. (1740 GMT) the vessel dropped anchor for reasons unknown about 20km from the coast. It is also reported the ship's engine had failed and she was taking on water.

It is known that at around 12:40 a.m. Friday (2140 GMT Thursday) Liu Shouzhi, one of the Taiwanese on board, called his wife. He told her that the ship was in danger of capsizing due to strong winds. Contact wih the vessel was lost shortly after.

According to the rescued crewmembers, who were picked up on Saturday morning, those on board the ship had abandoned her in two groups. All of them had life jackets on at the time. They reported the ship could carry thirty passengers.

The Madagascan Navy, coast guard and police are all participating in the search and rescue operation. Six ships and a number of aircraft have been deployed, and soilders are assisting police in searching the nearby coastline.

55 people were killed today after a mattress factory in Casablanca, Morocco was swept by fire. The fire initiated on the ground floor this morning and quickly engulfed the entire building.

12 others were injured - seriously, according to the Irish Times - including one police officer. 100 firefighters were dispatched to the five-storey factory after the blaze broke out at 10 am local time. Earlier reports had indicated 25 deaths and eight people injured. MAP, the state news agency, is quoted by the Irish Times as saying the building was four storeys high, citing in turn city officials.

The disaster occured at the Rosamor Ameublements factory, which is located in the Hay Hassani area of the nation's economic centre. Of the 150 people the facility employed, around 60 were inside at the time.

An official statement by city authorities shows that preliminary investigation indicates onsite chemicals were responsible for the fire's rapid spread, but no actual cause has yet been determined. A full inquiry has been launched to investigate the accident fully.

A fire disaster recently engulfed one compound in the village of Panchang in the Upper Salaam District. The compound is said to belong to Mr. Muhammad Jabbie (aka Daffed). The incident is said to have been disastrous.

According to the victims, the fire lasted for an hour and a half before the community were able to put it out and it has ruined the compound. Mr. Jabbie said that he is a goldsmith and he had “a lot of jewellery as trustee by one Demba Sey of the Njau Sey Kunda” but it has all been ruined. He further explained that he had cash of over D3,000, foodstuffs and other valuables stored in the compound, all of which have been destroyed.

Mr. Jabbie called on the Government, NGOs, philanthropists and even individuals to assist him to begin a new life as all his work over the past years was engulfed in fire.

He thanked and commended his community for their assistance in putting out the flames. Without their help it would have been much worse and could have spread to neighboring compounds.

Efforts were made to find the cause of the fire but so far it has been to no avail.

Some 18.2 percent of Ghana’s 22 million people are deemed “extremely poor” by the UN as they live on less than a dollar a day, struggling to access basic social services like health, water and education.

The potential for the oil finds to transform the economy and the lives of the poorest people is manifold.

Ghana’s officials, however, say they are concerned that the oil discovery is “perhaps the greatest managerial challenge” facing the West African country in the 51 years since it gained independence.

“At this point we acknowledge that we lack the know-how to manage this enormous resource but we are blessed with the experience of others,” said Francis Ackah, engineering manager of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), the agency which oversees the country’s petroleum resources.

In March 2008 Ghanaian President John Kufuor, speaking at an extractive industries forum, warned that “instead of being a blessing, oil sometimes proves the undoing of many… nations who come by this precious commodity”.

Money starts flowing

The first major discovery that hinted at the riches under Ghana’s coastline was announced in June 2007. A second major find was confirmed in February 2008. Both discoveries were 65km off the coastal town of Effasu.

The government is aiming to produce 100,000 barrels per day in early 2010. Output is expected to reach 200,000 barrels in five years, when Ghana would be the seventh largest oil producer in Africa.

The GNPC estimates revenue levels of almost US$3 million per day, or some US$1.6 billion per year. Ghana’s current gross domestic product (GDP) is US$31.23 billion and per capita income is US$1,400.

The money has already started flowing. On 1 April US-Canadian company Tullow Oil, one of the exploration groups, declared payment of tax liabilities of US$2.3 million to the government.

Transparency

Farouk Al-Kasim, an oil resource management consultant from Norway who is in Ghana to assist in capacity building, told IRIN the biggest challenge the Ghanaian government faces is ensuring transparency from the outset and avoiding corruption.

To achieve this, the country must first review its legal framework, specifically the Petroleum Exploration and Production Law passed in 1984, Al-Kasim said.

Accusations are already flying that transparency is not working as it should.

“We need to keep an eagle eye on the contracts we are signing with the oil companies,” said the Executive Secretary of Transparency International’s local chapter, Vitus Azim.

He said the current agreement-signing processes with the oil companies had been “less than desirable” and that if civil society and local communities were not allowed to monitor the deals from the outset it “could spell disaster”.

Ghana has consistently scored averagely on the Transparency International corruption perceptions index. In 2007 it was ranked 69 out of 180 countries surveyed worldwide.

Kojo Kwarteng, a spokesperson for the government, dismissed the concerns. He told IRIN the government was currently most concerned about making sure it could independently verify the profits oil companies were making so it could make sure it was getting its cut.

Under existing law, companies involved in the exploration and production of oil will pay royalties to the government of 5 percent, as well as interest, and income tax of 35 percent.

“What we need is clear guidelines backed by law to make sure we are not shortchanged,” Kwarteng told IRIN.

The “Norway model”

GNPC official Francis Ackah said the government’s longer-term plan was to adopt the so-called “Norway model” of resource allocation, a revenue management scheme employed in Norway, the world’s third largest oil exporter.

Norway in 1990 set up the Petroleum Fund of Norway. Run by the central bank, the fund converts oil revenues into stocks and bonds. The fund then hires external managers to invest the assets. Finally, the money is allocated to social services like roads, schools, houses, and health centres, and is given out as loans to small-scale businesses.

Steve Manteaw of the Ghanaian non-governmental organisation ISODEC said Ghana is “not developed enough” to employ this model and cannot afford to put money away in a fund when it has so many immediate needs.

“We must develop a ‘Ghanaian model’ that will factor in our peculiarity, but incorporating all best practices across the world,” he said.

Transparency International’s local chapter, however, believes the “Norway model” is the best for Ghana “because of its core principles of transparency and independence in oil revenue management”, said Transparency International’s Azim.

Communities

As civil society and the government haggle over oversight at the top level, community leaders have made it clear they are not going to remain silent.

“We will not sit down for the wealth to elude us, we are ready to fight for what rightfully belongs to us,” warned Asagyefo Ogyeahohoo, the traditional chief of one of the communities whose shores will soon play host to oil exploration activities.

“The battle has just begun,” he promised.

The Ghanaian government has already barred these communities from fishing around areas where oil exploration is under way; a move some of the community representatives say threatens their livelihoods.

Manteaw of ISODEC said: “Dialoguing with the communities to agree on a formula for distributing the oil wealth is a right the communities cannot be denied.”

Drawing on the experience of Nigeria, he told IRIN that excluding local communities in the decision-making process would “breed mistrust that could trigger the sort of conflict witnessed in Nigeria’s Delta region”.

Some civil society groups have even called for the country’s Human Rights Commission to be involved - to check that any promises made by government to the communities are honoured.

Manteaw noted that according to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, “after 100 years of mining gold in this country there is little to show [for it] in these communities.”

For him, promises by government to share out the gold wealth fairly with local communities have been nothing more than empty. Much of this he attributes to corruption.

Government spokesperson Kwarteng said critics should keep an open mind. “We are committed to doing things differently now; the lessons are being learnt; we hope our actions so far will be a testament to our resolve to make this enormous resource benefit the people,” he said.