2005 in Africa - Human and Natural Catastrophes

Human and Natural Catastrophes

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: during the night of Saturday 1 January, torrential rains caused a death and destroyed a hundred houses in Uvira.
• During the African Union summit in Libreville on 10 January 2005, Gabonese president Omar Bongo Ondimba proposed the creation of an African organization of urgent humanitarian intervention in the event of natural disaster or conflict.
• On the occasion of the world conference on prevention of natural disasters, Salvano Briceno, responsible for the international strategy of the UN for the prevention of disasters, insisted on the fact that "it is very important to concentrate on Africa because the vulnerability of the African countries is big". According to a study of the UN, 80% of the biological disasters (mainly associated with epidemics) took place in Africa during the decade 1994-2003.
• Migratory locusts: the FAO recommends the countries of Western and North-Western Africa (Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Algeria) to continue the fight against the migratory locusts and to remain vigilant in spite of the recent improvements. An international scientific seminar on the migratory locust was organized in Dakar from 11 to 13 January. Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade calls upon "all the Heads of State, both of the developed countries and of those in the developing process, all the sponsors and all the specialized agencies, to combine our efforts, in order to end this plague, which goes back in the mists of time".
• Madagascar: a tropical storm, baptized Ernest, struck the island of Madagascar on 22 and 23 January. A provisional assessment of 28 January counts 7 dead and 79 disappeared in the south of the island. Nearly a thousand people are affected.
• Nigeria: vice-president Atiku Abubakar announced on 4 February the installation of an advanced alarm system against urgencies and catastrophes, which should cover all West Africa.
• Mozambique: the regional Water Administration of the Zambezi announced on 9 February 2005 that the floods caused by the rise of the level of the immense Zambezi river, due to strong rains since the end of January, have already affected 18.825 people, mainly peasants of the provinces of Tete and Sofala (center of Mozambique). Approximately 15 square kilometres of crops (rice, maize/corn, peanut and cassava/manioc) are lost.
• Mali: The Social, Cultural and Economic Council of Mali is studying during two weeks the different questions related to prevention and management of natural disasters with the objective to provide suggestions and recommendations to the authorities on prevention and management of environmental catastrophes (bush fires and deforestation, air and water pollution, sedimentation of rivers and proliferation of the water hyacinth in the Niger River bed).
• Ethiopia: in the area of Somalia, 70 km to the east of Addis Ababa, the rise of the Shebelle River in April 2005 brought with it floods in more than 30 villages, causing the death of 134 people. Aid has trouble to arrive because of the presence of many crocodiles in the disaster zone.