Rapid response needed in Koukou as thousands flee worst floods in living memory

We are calling for humanitarian organisations to provide emergency assistance to people in Koukou and the region now, and to assess the needs in surrounding areas. Given the extent of the flooding, solutions must urgently be found to reach affected communities, bring supplies, and provide a rapid and coordinated response.

Food and shelter must be an immediate priority, as well as an effective water, sanitation and hygiene response to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks. People may be trapped for some time, with the risk that the floods will rise again even higher.

All MSF staff and their families in Koukou are affected by this disaster but they are working to help their community. In an MSF boat, our colleagues and local authorities were able to rescue 296 people trapped by the waters.

“Colleagues were calling, telling us they were floating in their houses, asking us to send the boat,” says Melichar. “People’s rafts capsized, they had to seek refuge in trees. All through the night until the morning our boat was helping to rescue people.”

MSF has set up a mobile basic health clinic on the hill and is improving access to drinking water. But this disaster has occurred at the worst possible time, when both malaria and malnutrition rates are at their seasonal peaks.