A QRCS representative interacting with a woman affected by flood in Mauritania.
Doha: In an emergency response to the recent flooding disaster in Mauritania, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) activated its Disaster Information Management Center IDIMC) on August 3, 2022, to keep updated about the humanitarian situation and gather real-time information, in coordination with the Mauritanian Red Crescent.
QRCS allocated $100,000 from its Disaster Response Fund to provide relief for the victims of floods, mitigate the impact of the disaster, meet the basic needs, and support government efforts in the target areas: Nbeika Town (Tagant Region), Guerou Department (Assaba Region), and Ayoun Al Atrous Town (Hodh Al Gharbi Region).
The emergency relief intervention plan involves providing food, nonfood, shelter, and health aid for 300 flood-affected families, or 1,800 people. The plan includes distribution of 300 local tents with their supplies, distribution of 300 food parcels, each containing 40 kg of basic foodstuffs such as rice, pasta, sugar, lentils, and vegetable oil, distribution of 300 kits of nonfood items (NFIs), each containing two blankets, hygiene materials, two straw mats, six pillows, and kitchenware and provision of primary health care services.
Floods have severely hit many villages and communities in three regions of Mauritania; damaged roads and blocked the transportation of people and goods; and caused large-scale destruction to infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and dams. Some marketplaces and commercial areas have been submerged, and large quantities of household food stock were flooded.
Public water resources were badly affected, especially in the communities that depend mainly on water wells, with the consequent risk of contaminations. There are nine deaths (mostly children), 2,236 affected families, and 1,560 damaged homes. Communication and power supply services in most cities are intermittent.
According to initial reports, the current basic needs are shelter (tents, blankets, and pillows), foodstuffs, relief items (blankets, kitchenware, hygiene kits, tarpaulins, and mosquito nets), and potable water.
