Emergency Response to Floods in Benin CAFOD is making a grant from the GEB for Euros 50,000 to Caritas Benin as part of the response to the floods that have devastated many parts of Benin in September/October 2010. 

Very heavy rains have affected large parts of Benin since late September 2010 in both rural and urban areas and caused severe flooding in a number of regions. The Niger and Oueme rivers, as well as their tributaries, burst their banks which made the flooding worse. 

46 people have been reported dead. The UNDAC field assessment mission estimated that 680,000 people have been affected by the floods. 55 towns ('communes') out of a total of 77 for the whole country have been affected, among them 21 severely affected. More than 50,000 houses have been destroyed, as well as 133,000 hectares of crops and farmlands. 276 schools have been completely flooded as well as 92 health centres.

The Benin Government declared a state of emergency on 1 October, calling for international aid. 

Main assistance needs include emergency shelter, water and sanitation, food assistance, health (including access to essential health services and addressing risks of cholera spreading - 846 cholera cases have already been reported) and agriculture recovery.

Despite the assistance provided by UN agencies, the Benin Red Cross, CRS and other NGOs (Pan Benin, CARE), gaps in assistance are considerable and further relief assistance is urgently required.

As soon as the emergency struck, Caritas Bénin mobilised its network to assess damages and propose emergency interventions. Caritas Benin has been appointed as NGO representative within the National Crisis Committee set up by the government and is leading on the coordination of NGO interventions.

On 15th October 2010, Caritas Benin launched an emergency appeal to the Caritas confederation (EA 15/2010) via Caritas Internationalis. The proposed interventions are as follows:

• Food assistance: distribution of food parcels (125 kg of cereals, 15 kg of beans and 2 litres of vegetable oil) to 4,000 households (20,000 people)
• Health: distribution of anti-malaria drugs to 4,000 households
• Non-food items: distribution of mosquito nets, mats, blankets and buckets to 4,000 households
• Education : distribution de school materials to 3,000 primary school pupils
• Shelter: provision of construction material for the reconstruction of 2,000 collapsed houses
• Livelihoods: seed distribution to 7,000 farmers
• Capacity building and sensitisation of people affected, in the areas of hygiene, agriculture and prevention of damages related to floods

To-date, the following Caritas agencies have pledged the following financial supports, totalling Euro 338,000 as compared to a total budget of Euro 1,320,928:
- Caritas Germany: Euro 200,000 earmarked for NFI (it is German government money, which cannot be used for food)
- Secours Catholique: Euro 63,000 including Euro 42,000 earmarked for food assistance (food and seeds)
- Caritas Italiana: Euro 25,000
- Caritas Luxembourg: Euro 50,000

CAFOD has decided to earmark its financial contribution to the food assistance component of the intervention, which remains under-funded. Caritas Benin has confirmed that food assistance is one of the top priorities.