Senegal
1.1 Senegal Humanitarian Background
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Senegal Humanitarian Background

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Disasters

Yes / No

Comments / Details

Drought

Yes Drought is also a major potential source of disaster, since rainfall is highly variable as we proceed towards the north. For instance, the country regularly experienced drought in the recent years.

Earthquakes

- -

Epidemics

Yes As in many other African countries, Senegal is regularly struck by cholera and yellow fever. From January 2002 to October 2005, W.H.O. reported not less than 9 outbreaks of yellow fever and 12 outbreaks of cholera in the country.

Extreme Temperatures

Yes Last incident , in May 2013, 18 people died in Matam because of the extreme heat ( 50 degrees and more)

Flooding

Yes Occurs every year. The phenomenon of ‘Heug’ is also worth mentioning. It is a Wolof term referring to rainfalls occurring off season, as those that hit the entire territory on January 9th-10th 2002, as shown on the map. These rains are sometimes associated with strong winds and floods.

Insect Infestation

Yes As other sahelian countries, Senegal is prone to locusts invasion. Between 1988 and 2004, at least 7 regions have been affected by this calamity

Mudslides

- -

Volcanic Eruptions

- -

High Waves / Surges

- -

Wildfires

- -

High Winds

Yes Floods and storms are also a potential hazard threatening Senegal: more than 70 fishermen were missing after a tropical storm (Cindy) struck off the southern coast of the country in 1999, killing at least 16 persons.

Other Comments

World Health Organisation Information on Senegal

Man-Made Issues

Civil Strife

Yes With the problems and violence ongoing in Mali and Nigeria, Senegal is exposed to a higher risk of spreading of instability and extremism. A recent report of ISS (institute of studies on security) mentions that there is a more radical movement taking place the Mosque of Senegal. With the Malian crisis, instability and actions of radical’s movement can affect Senegal. The authorities are monitoring the situation closely.

International Conflict

n/a -

Internally Displaced Persons

n/a -

Refugees Present

n/a -

Landmines / UXO Present

n/a -

Other Comments

-

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:

http://www.emdat.be/country-profile

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Seasonal Affects on Transport

Transport

Comments

From (month) to (month)

Primary Road Transport

There is a major religious event in Senegal occurring in the month of February, when people from all over the country travel to the city of Touba for the great Magal. During this period, traffic on Senegalese roads is quite intense, especially on the stretch from Dakar to Touba, via Thiès and Djourbel. Trucks drivers should therefore exercise caution to avoid accidents. From Febuary

Secondary Road Transport

Unpaved roads, especially in rural areas, are hard to access during the rainy season. This can be explained by the condition of these roads which are usually sandy as in the region of Fatick or rocky and muddy as in the region of Kédougou. From July

Rail Transport

There is no major seasonal effect on the rail transport also because rail transport is not really exploited. The main Rail line rely Dakar port with Mali From January

Air Transport

The visibility can be affected by the Harmattan. Airport congestion during Hadj period From December

Waterway Transport

The main port of Dakar is open throughout the year and is not seriously affected by any seasonal effect. From January

Seasonal Affects on Storage and Handling (economic, social, climate…)

Activity

Comments

From <month> to <month>

Storage

Rainy season can affect storage if the warehouse is not in good state

From June

Handling

During rainy season handling of goods became problematic as operation (as port handling) will slow down during rains

From June

Other

n/a

 

For other cities in the Country see: http://www.weather-and-climate.com

For average temperatures, please see the following document: Senegal Dakar average temperature_21Mar2013

For average rainfall, please see the following document: Senegal Dakar average rainfall_21Mar2013

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

In case of emergency in Senegal, the Ministry of Interior plays, through the Department of Civil Protection (DPC) and the Plan ORSEC (Senegal's national emergency plan), a central role in the coordination of emergency response operations. The Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire (CSA) is also involved in emergency response. It is a government cell, composed of militaries and civilians. It is placed under the management of the Ministry of Family, of National Solidarity, of Feminine Enterprise and Micro Finance.  The mandate of the CSA is to ensure food security within the country, by providing food assistance to affected population.

The government is doing efforts to prevent emergencies when it is possible; some recurrent situations are predictable like floods, they occur each year during the rainy season. DPC has a Matrix of preparation prior to the rainy season (cleaning of the evacuation canals, maintenance of water pumps system etc). There is also a new Ministry created in 2012 dedicated to the management and the implementation of a project to avoid annual floods and the flow of affected people caused by it. The Ministry is relocating the population leaving in the flooding sectors in order to rehabilitate the water evacuation system in the more affected areas of the city. The project already started and aims to eliminate flooding problems in the future.

The Plan Orsec will be activated by the Government only if the State resources are not sufficient to answer the emergency.

For information on Senegal Government Contact details see the following link: 4.1 Senegal Government Contact List

For the Embassies and Consulates present in Senegal please see: http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/senegal

Humanitarian Community

Senegal host a lot of NGO’s and UN agency regional offices. The humanitarian community is used to support emergencies in the Sahel region. Logistically, the Country private sector is strong. There is a lot of reliable transport companies and there are private and state owned warehouses (CSA) available to rent everywhere in the country. IFRC has a regional NFI warehouse in Dakar where they have a stock for NFI to cover 5000 families. They also have an 18TM truck and a reserve of 10 vehicles ready to be deployed anywhere in the Sahel and in Golf of Guinea region.

UNHCR have their NFI contingency stock in Accra and it’s ready to be sent anywhere needed. WFP also has regional stock ready to be deployed in Accra through the UNHRD.They also have 4 mobile storage units in Senegal. In 2012, The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has given US$7 million to four UN agencies to provide emergency food aid for most food insecure people in Senegal.

For information on Senegal Government Contact details see the following link: 4.2 Senegal Humanitarian Agency Contact List

For additional Information on Senegal Humanitarian Community, please see the following document: Senegal Humanitarian Background additional Information

'Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.'

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