“Flooding is a regular occurrence here because I have lived here for more than twenty years but what happened in the space of weeks this year is unprecedented in the floding history of Voussa Kpuodji. Everywhere here was covered by water. A brother to my husband was electrocuted and died when the waters made it impossible for him to see a naked wire that the flood waters covered. Some other families lost the aged who could not move as they were trapped in the houses with no one to help them. I do not know of surrounding towns but in this community there were three of such cases. It is terrible..” -Madam Muyibat Gbadamasi, Nigerian married to Beninoise, Vuossa Kpuodji

Introduction
From November 7-9, 2010 ERA monitors visited several communities in and around Cotonou in the Republic of Benin to document and capture images of massive flooding that had rendered an estimated 700,000 families homeless in two months, starting mid-August 2010.

ERA monitors visited Voussa Kpuodji, Voussa, Adjohoun, Bopa and Cotonou where the Nokoue Lake which had been steadily on the rise in the last few years overran farmlands, displaced thousands of households and claimed some lives following heavy rains.

It was gathered that though roads, beaches and buildings have already been destroyed by the coastline’s regression in the past 10 years, the surge which caused the Niger River in the north of Republic of Benin and the Nokoue to overrun their banks became noticeable around August 2010 which also coincides with the peak of the rainy season. By September community people in 55 out of the country’s 77 municipalities had already been displaced as the waters overran their houses, destroyed their farms and led to several deaths.

Cotonou and most of the other communities lie in the southeast of Republic of Benin, between the Atlantic Ocean and Nokoué Lake and experts had earlier warned that just like Lagos in neighboring Nigeria, most of them are less than two metres above sea level  and therefore susceptible to rising sea levels caused by climate change.


Situation in Affected Communities
In all, monitors gathered that 55 communities were affected within the space of a month, with 20 categorized as disaster zones. Aside Cotonou which experienced some level of recovery due to aid from several non governmental organizations, the disaster zones completely overrun by the floods include Cobly, Boukoumbe, Abomey-Calavi, So-Ava, Tchaourou, Karimama, Malanvillie, Glazoue and Zagnanado. Others are Zogbodomey, Ouinhi, Athieme, Bopa, Grand-Popo, Lokossa, Adjohoun, Aguegues, Bonou, Dangbo and Seme-Kpodji. 

When ERA monitors arrived at Voussa Kpuodji it was observed that the community was nearly totally deserted as most households that survived the flood were said to have relocated to safer towns, fearing more rains would inflict hardship and bring about illnesses. 

The few that stayed back said that they opted to remain because they had nowhere to go as they have lived all their lives in the community and earned their livelihood from there through fishing.

Monitors spoke with several affected households including Mrs. Agnes Savanogo, a displaced trader who explained that “the situation was even worse until the rains reduced. It was really frightening last week because we were trapped in our houses as the water continued to rise without halting. Children and the old suffered more and caught illnesses”

She also expressed worry that the community was unable to get clean drinking water as most of the water sources had been contaminated by the flood.

Monitors observed that the major road that cuts through the community and other inter-linking roads were still largely flooded, trapping residents in their houses. Some of the community folks that monitors approached to obtain information declined to speak, insisting that they did not expect anything meaningful to come out from such an engagement.

They also expressed frustration at the total lack of attention from the government.

At Voussa, a 30-minutes drive from Voussa Kpuodji, monitors observed that most streets were still cut off as residents had to commute from one point to the other either by wading through the flood or paying for the service of some individuals who cashed-in on the situation to make money though boats.

A few that spoke with ERA monitors said that though flooding was a yearly occurrence in Voussa due to its closeness to the lake, the level of flooding in the 2010 wet season was unprecedented in the country’s history.

Attempts to access So-Ava which was completely overrun by the flood was impossible as the volume of water cut the community from other with the only option access by boat only once a week. The same situation obtained in Glazoue and Zagnanado where it was gathered, relief was yet to reach. Operators of boats that ply the route told ERA monitors that they would only embark on the trip to the affected regions if they are instructed by CARITAS, a non governmental organization run by the Catholic Church which pays them heavily to convey food to the affected people.

Augustine Faton, a resident of Cotonou who guided ERA monitors to the affected communities said that “We have always experienced floods but this year is a disaster”
He explained that apart from ravaged farmlands and houses, thousands of livelihoods were massively affected as many of the affected community folks are into fish farming along the river banks and lost their fish because of the rising tide which provided opportunity for formerly confined fish to swim into the sea.

“Many of our people are suffering and have been forced to stay in the few open tents provided by CARITAS that stepped in when the government refused to take action.”


Testimonies from Community Folks

Madam Muyibat Gbadamasi, Nigerian married to Beninoise, Vuossa Kpuodji
“Flooding is a regular occurrence here because I have lived here for more than twenty years but what happened in the space of weeks this year is unprecedented in the floding history of Voussa Kpuodji. Everywhere here was covered by water. A brother to my husband was electrocuted and died when the waters made it impossible for him to see a naked wire that the flood waters covered. Some other families lost the aged who could not move as they were trapped in the houses with no one to help them. I do not know of surrounding towns but in this community there were three of such cases. It is terrible..”


Mrs. Elizabeth, House wife, Voussa Kpuodji
“Since the flood happened we are yet to recover. My family woke up one morning to discover water everywhere. You can see that there are no chairs or table or even carpet on the floor. Our entire belongings were affected. Even the trade I was into I was forced to halt because I could not display my wares and nobody will even attempt to cross the water to this side. The government is yet to carry out all the promises we heard that they made”

Andre Amoudou, Fish farmer, Adjohoun
“For me the incident is a disaster because my fish farm was destroyed and is completely under water now. Unfortunately there is no fish because they all escaped into the sea when the flood came. The sad part is that when we raised the alarm government refused to come to our aid. Who will replace the hundreds of fish that escaped for me now?...”

Anthonette Mathieu, mother of three, Bopa Community 
“This is one of the most affected communities and the old people here and children are the worst affected because it becomes very cold in the night. We lost one old woman who could not cope because she was very ill when the floods started climbing. The government and aid agencies should come to our rescue.”


Government Response
Victims of the flooding told ERA monitors that the response of the Beninoise government had been inadequate thus far as it only promised relief for victims but had not matched the promise with action.

“All we have heard are promises and endless promises. We have not seen anything on the part of the government. Only some NGO’s promised us they will come and we heard they have helped communities in So-Ava. We have however not seen them,” said Emmanuel Salouje, a fish farmer from Voussa Kpuodji.

Monitors learnt from Reverend Father Zaccharee Kpossou of CARITAS, an NGO run by the Catholic Church, that it took weeks of intense lobbying for the organisation to get the government to declare the affected areas as disaster zones.


Civil Society/NGO Intervention
“Since the government did nothing we started massive lobbying through the Minister of Security and Interior and this led to the declaration of a state of emergency in October but we still have to continue sourcing for funds to help the victims because the government has not been able to assist victims.

He also gave statistical data which showed that in the 55 affected communities around 200,000 people are in need of shelters, with over 55,000 homes totally destroyed, 128,000 hectares of crops ruined, and 81,000 livestock dead.

He also told monitors that CARITAS had to distribute food to approximately 2,450 vulnerable people living with host families in Zangnanado, one of the worst affected areas of the country when the government was not forthcoming and seemed overwhelmed by the situation

It was learnt that the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which has a malaria treatment programme in So-Ava is also assisting victims to get food.

A staff of CRS at the organisation’s office in Cotonou told ERA monitors that the organisation is working with Médicines Sans Frontières to provide logistical support for the treatment of cholera cases in Cotonou and that in the days ahead, approximately 430 tents will be distributed in Alibori, Borgou, Collines, Mono and Zou.

Areas where intervention is needed

Though non governmental organizations  like CARITAS and CRS have done much in assisting the flood victims, the government of the Republic of Benin has a role to play which it is not doing. The government intervention must necessarily come in form of the following:
•    Providing tents for displaced households, many of whom still sleep outside and in open spaces
•    Providing clean drinking water and food for displaced persons
•    Getting drugs across to the sick, children and the aged
•    Assisting community folks who lost livelihoods to go back to their means of livelihood