Banjul, The Gambia : The Gambia Its disaster agency said in a report that late last month it suffered the worst flooding in “nearly half a century”, killing 11 people and displacing more than 5,000 internally.
The flash floods that followed heavy rainfall on 30 and 31 July “directly affected” at least 40,000 people, including more than 8,000 children under the age of five, but were expected to affect hundreds of thousands of people overall. Chances are. National Disaster Management Agency ,NDMA) said on Thursday.
Department of Water Resources The capital recorded 276 mm of rain banjul In a span of two days, it said.
“Suburbans have been the hardest hit among urban settlements”, the agency said, with 11 deaths reported and 5,407 internally displaced.
“Hundreds of homes have been completely or partially damaged and are unsafe for human habitation.”
Most of the internally displaced – 52.4 percent of whom are women and girls – are living with relatives. NDMA and Red Cross Accommodating 350 people in a makeshift camp in Banjul.
“Historical records of floods predate 1948”, the report said, adding that the country’s most significant floods were recorded in 1988, 1999, 2002, 2010, 2020 and 2022.
“This suggests that the frequency of flash floods and climate-related shocks is becoming more frequent”, it added.
In the Greater Banjul region, hundreds of water points and thousands of sanitation facilities have been affected by the latest floods, with the water appearing “pale green with a pungent odor” across the city, the agency said.
In the Tobacco Road neighborhood, the sewage system overflows and mixes with floodwaters.
The agency said there have been “several” cases of diarrhea and skin rashes, posing a “very high” risk of water-borne diseases.
It also said that the stagnant water has attracted reptiles to some communities, “posing a threat to the population”.
President on a visit to the affected areas of Banjul last week Adama Barrow Media reported that $46 million was promised for a new water canal project, which he said would be built by the end of the year.
The flash floods that followed heavy rainfall on 30 and 31 July “directly affected” at least 40,000 people, including more than 8,000 children under the age of five, but were expected to affect hundreds of thousands of people overall. Chances are. National Disaster Management Agency ,NDMA) said on Thursday.
Department of Water Resources The capital recorded 276 mm of rain banjul In a span of two days, it said.
“Suburbans have been the hardest hit among urban settlements”, the agency said, with 11 deaths reported and 5,407 internally displaced.
“Hundreds of homes have been completely or partially damaged and are unsafe for human habitation.”
Most of the internally displaced – 52.4 percent of whom are women and girls – are living with relatives. NDMA and Red Cross Accommodating 350 people in a makeshift camp in Banjul.
“Historical records of floods predate 1948”, the report said, adding that the country’s most significant floods were recorded in 1988, 1999, 2002, 2010, 2020 and 2022.
“This suggests that the frequency of flash floods and climate-related shocks is becoming more frequent”, it added.
In the Greater Banjul region, hundreds of water points and thousands of sanitation facilities have been affected by the latest floods, with the water appearing “pale green with a pungent odor” across the city, the agency said.
In the Tobacco Road neighborhood, the sewage system overflows and mixes with floodwaters.
The agency said there have been “several” cases of diarrhea and skin rashes, posing a “very high” risk of water-borne diseases.
It also said that the stagnant water has attracted reptiles to some communities, “posing a threat to the population”.
President on a visit to the affected areas of Banjul last week Adama Barrow Media reported that $46 million was promised for a new water canal project, which he said would be built by the end of the year.