Dakar floods, a yearly occurrence

Thousands of people are homeless in Senegal's capital after a storm brought nearly a year's worth of rainfall in a single day, turning roads into rivers.

Senegal has officially launched the Orsec plan, Disaster Relief Plan (Orsec), to deal with the floods that are affecting certain areas in the suburbs of Dakar and the island. This Sunday, August 22, the Interior Minister visited the areas affected by heavy rainfalls.

The Minister of the Interior, Antoine Félix Abdoulaye Diome announced the deployment of the first batch of equipment to help clear the water in the most affected areas which consisted of dispatching about fifty water cleaning trucks to the field, as well as 150 motor pumps.

The floods of Dakar, Senegal are a yearly occurrence.

Last September, homes were ravaged, livestock swept away by the waters. The rains were exceptional, according to the authorities. But people criticize the management of these floods, which recur every rainy season.

Likewise last year, the Minister of the Interior promised pumping equipment, before reflecting on permanent solutions after the last winter.

A ten-year flood management plan was launched in 2012, with a budget of approximately 750 billion CFA francs (more than one billion euros). Many however demand accountability.