3. West Africa: Help is available for those affected by floods (IRIN)

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Rabe Muhammad lost his home and crops to flooding. He worries how he will feed his family today and rebuild their house in the future. Mr. Muhammad lives in Sokoto State, northern Nigeria. His story is like hundreds of thousands of others across West Africa. Forced out of rural communities and cities by flooding, these people now rely on humanitarian aid.

Fortunately, many agencies are responding. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department, and the World Food Programme are among the agencies providing millions of dollars in support. Essential supplies are being distributed to families in need.

Governments and aid agencies say the priority is to ensure that affected people have access to clean water and adequate sanitation, as well as food and other essential items such as blankets. As the traditional rainy season has not yet ended, there are fears that the situation could turn worse before it improves.

-For an overview of emergency relief efforts in West Africa, click here: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=86122

-For information on how to contact NGOs and humanitarian relief agencies providing help in your area, see this week’s Radio Resource Bank.

-To see images of the flooding captured by local journalists (or to share your own images), go to: http://atelier.rfi.fr/profiles/blog/show?id=1189413%3ABlogPost%3A77980&page=2#comment-1189413_Comment_78231