1 Gambia Country Profile
Gambia Country Profile
Generic Information:
"The Gambia also commonly known as Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is surrounded by Senegal, apart from a short strip of Atlantic coastline at its western end. It is the smallest country on mainland Africa. The country is situated either side of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the country's centre and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is 11,295 km² with an estimated population of 1.7 million. Banjul is the Gambian capital, but the largest cities are Serekunda and Brikama."
Source: Wikipedia (publisher), Gambia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambia 17Sept2013
Find the country in the generic links below:
Wikipedia information on Gambia
Economist Intelligence Unit information on Gambia*
(*note - this is a paid service)
Humanitarian Info:
Facts and Figures:
Wolfram Alpha information on Gambia
1.1 Gambia Humanitarian Background
Gambia Humanitarian Background
|
Disasters, Conflicts and Migration |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Natural Disasters |
Yes / No |
Comments / Details |
|
Drought |
Yes | Rainy falls dropped by 30% in the past 30years. In the long term desertification is a threat as the sub-Sahara pushes its way further south. Severe droughts have already destroyed harvest and with limited resources to cope with climate changes the Gambia is particularly vulnerable to these changes. |
|
Earthquakes |
n/a | n/a |
|
Epidemics |
Yes | Cholera outbreaks linked to floods and resulted in deaths;(2008-2009) Cholera outbreaks from attending religious gatherings in neighbouring Senegal.(2006-2007) |
|
Extreme Temperatures |
Yes | Sometimes above 37 C at the Upper River Region |
|
Flooding |
Yes | Recent flood happens at Basse Admistrative town (Upper River Region) and some part of the urban settlements, destructive rain destroy and farmland |
|
Insect Infestation |
Yes | n/a |
|
Mudslides |
n/a | n/a |
|
Volcanic Eruptions |
n/a | n/a |
|
High Waves / Surges |
n/a | n/a |
|
Wildfires |
n/a | n/a |
|
High Winds |
n/a | n/a |
|
Other Comments |
n/a |
|
|
Man-Made Issues |
||
|
Civil Strife |
n/a | n/a |
|
International Conflict |
n/a | n/a |
|
Internally Displaced Persons |
n/a | n/a |
|
Refugees Present |
n/a | n/a |
|
Landmines / UXO Present |
n/a | n/a |
|
Other Comments |
n/a |
For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:
Calamities and Seasonal Affects
| Seasonal Affects on Transport | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Transport |
Comments |
From (month) to (month) |
|
Primary Road Transport |
The main highways are affected especially the south bank but can usually still be used | Jun - Sept |
|
Secondary Road Transport |
Landslide and poor road conditions are major problems for secondary roads. Heavy rains cause numerous landslides and cut off remote areas especially at region 5 & 6. The economic impact of this is huge as farmland and houses are lost. | Jun - Sept |
|
Rail Transport |
n/a | n/a |
|
Air Transport |
During rainy seasons, heavy rains and strong winds impact the main airport. The airport could be busier during the tourist season which runs from mid October. | Jun - Sept |
|
Waterway Transport |
n/a | n/a |
|
Seasonal Affects on Storage and Handling (economic, social, climate…) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Activity |
Comments |
From <month> to <month> |
|
Storage |
WFP has 2 warehouses (food) with capacity of 2000 metric tons each. There is one non food item warehouse which has located in the Kanifing Industrial areas which is about 200 meter away from the Logistics office and has the capacity of 500 metric tons. These warehouses are already being used for development project (105480) to delivery rations to beneficiaries’ schools, during the rainy season precautionary planning is advisable. |
Jun - Sept |
|
Handling |
During rainy season handling of goods become problematic as operation (as port handling) will slow down during this period. Also not all the transporters are well organized with tarpaulin equipped trucks. |
Jun - Sept |
|
Other |
n/a |
n/a |
Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response
During and prior to an emergency hitting the main player is NDMA – National Disaster Management Agency – the government’s permanent agency for contingencies in The Gambia needs update from the agency latest Monday. This agency works on coordination and planning of resources to respond to emergencies and has decentralized offices at the National, Regional, District and Village level. Its overall goal is to ensure a proper and effective mechanism for disaster mitigation and preparedness that will save lives and livelihoods in the country. There is a policy strategic objective in place which mandates the disaster commodities to integrate disaster risk reduction into sustainable development policies and planning and to develop and strengthen institutional mechanism and capacities to build resilience to hazards to name a few.
Government
For information on Gambia government contact details, please see the following link:
4.1 Gambia Government Contact List
Humanitarian Community
For information on Gambia humanitarian contact details, please see the following link:
1.2 Gambia Customs Information
Gambia Customs Information
Most of the transnational transport is done via two routes. One is via Barra-Banjul and one is via Soma-Farafeni. The last route is used more often as the ferry crossing at Banjul can take up to a week without priority crossing. In general, it does not take more than an hour to cross the border. However, it might take much longer if the documents are not properly done. At examination areas Amdallai post, Farafeni post, Basse Custom post, Jiboro custom post.
Duties and Tax Exemption
For information on Gambia Customs contacts, please see the following link:
4.1 Gambia Government Contact List
Emergency Response:
[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to ‘crisis’ times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government. When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]
In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones
|
Agreements / Conventions Description |
Ratified by Country? (Yes / No) |
|---|---|
|
WCO (World Customs Organization) member |
n/a |
|
Annex J-5 Revised Kyoto Convention |
n/a |
|
OCHA Model Agreement |
n/a |
|
Tampere Convention (on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations) |
n/a |
|
Regional Agreements (on emergency/disaster response, but also customs unions, regional integration) |
n/a |
Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response):
[Note: This section should contain information on the usual duties & taxes exemption regime during non-emergency times, when there is no declared state of emergency and no streamlines process (e.g. regular importations/development/etc.).]
Since everything is duty free on import for humanitarian mission, only notifications and payment for overtime is necessary
Report the import to commissioner general. They will clear the
goods, sent documents back to the port. No taxes, duties, or any
other money should be paid for imports of food for humanitarian
purposes.
|
Organizational Requirements to obtain Duty Free Status |
|---|
|
United Nations Agencies |
|
WFP is exempt from paying any taxes so it is not very relevant issue. The government cooperates fully and provides all service free of charge. |
|
Non Governmental Organizations |
|
It applied to all UN bodies and UN Agencies and also to all organizations involved in United Nations relief operations |
Customs Clearance
General Information
- Amdalai
- Farafeni
- Basse
- Soma
- Jiboro
Customs Clearance Document Requirements
Allow admission free of import duties and taxes or equivalent charges all relief consignments imported for distribution free of charge, in particular where such consignments consist of food, medicaments, clothing, blankets, tents, prefabricated houses or other goods of prime necessity , and professions of disaster relief personnel delivering humanitarian assistance:
Allow operators and importers to submit manifest and entry details to customs prior to arrival of the relief consignment in order to facilitate immediate release:
Accomplish physical examination of cargo, when required, on a sampling or selective basis, and carry out such examination as rapidly as possible:
Make arrangements whereby the maximum number of relief consignments can be released promptly after arrival upon presentation of a provisional entry document or a legally acceptable electronic equivalent, subject to complete fulfillment of Customs and other requirement within a specified time limit.
For information on Gambia customs additional information, please see the following documents:
Gambia Customs
Information by Entry Points
Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.
For information on Gambia Customs contacts, please see the following link: