After 12 inches of rain fell causing 150,000 to seek shelter
On September 1, 2009, torrential rains fell in Burkina Faso causing widespread flooding. Heavy rains were the worst since 1919.
Prime Minister Zongo estimated that 150,000 people are homeless in the country.
Eight individuals reportedly lost their lives as a direct result of the flooding.
Bridges on highways leading in and out of Ouagadougou, homes and businesses collapsed.
Staff attending patients at the national hospital in Ouagadougou fled as the waters came into the building leaving patients to fend for themselves.
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| When rains subsided on September 1, many villagers around the ACTS Center were left homeless. 180 families were given temporary shelter at the ACTS secondary school. |
Hardest hit by this disaster are poor village orphans and widows like the ones enrolled in the ACTS program. They are living on the edge, barely clinging to survival.
We are praising the Lord that none of the widows and orphans in our care lost their lives. But they have lost all their material possessions. Grain stored in flooded buildings was destroyed by the muddy waters. Any money stored in their homes was swept away.
ACTS Executive Director Joanna Ilboudo talked to one man who said he tied himself to a tree so that he wouldn’t be swept away by the rushing water. Eventually he was able to climb to the roof of a building to get out of the rising water. He lost everything in the flood.
The ACTS Center was designated as an official shelter by the Burkinabé government. Villagers made there way to the Center even before the rains stopped on September 1st. ACTS gave them a place to “camp” at the secondary school, but had no food for them.
It will be necessary to secure temporary housing such as tents for the homeless so that the secondary students will be able to return to classes. Other individuals will be able to house with friends or family whose homes were not damaged.
On September 2, the ACTS staff began evaluating the damage to homes and buildings and the villagers’ material losses. Villagers registered to receive relief assistance. ACTS will give reports to the government and make difficult choices as to who receives direct help from ACTS Ministry.
We do not have the finances nor infrastructure to meet the needs of all the villagers.
Our first priority will be the orphans under our care. Then the children enrolled in our schools. Third priority will be the widows and women enrolled in our programs.
ACTS needs food and clothing for the orphans, children and widows. Additional medicines and medical supplies are necessary to prepare for medical emergencies and diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria.
ACTS has plans of action in place for this disaster.
Click here to read about ACTS response for orphans.
Click here to read about ACTS disaster response plan.
Click here to read about food for orphans.
