O 041734Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8698
INFO AMEMBASSY ACCRA 
AMEMBASSY COTONOU 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS LOME 000401 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF 
AID/W FOR OFDA 
DAKAR FOR OFDA 
ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL SENV MASS TO GH FR
SUBJECT: TOGO'S FLOODING SITUATION: TOGO AND PARTNERS ARE 
ACTIVE 
 
REF: A. LOME 400 
     ¶B. LOME 397 
     ¶C. LOME 394 
     ¶D. LOME 391 
     ¶E. LOME 387 
 
 ¶1.  SUMMARY:   Assessment teams, both national and 
international, have begun to return to Lome and prepare their 
initial analysis and suggested courses of action. Togolese 
authorities have been present on the ground to distribute 
supplies, meet the population, assess damage and organize 
rescue efforts.  The international community has also been 
active, aiding victims and deciding what type of assistance 
it may be able to provide Togo.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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TOGOLESE EFFORTS 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  Togolese Ministers of Security, Territorial 
Administration, Social Affairs, and Transportation have been 
active in the flooded localities. Togo's disaster relief 
committee (ORSEC plan) is now working and seeking to address 
population needs, gathering resources from various ministries 
and coordinating rescue operations.  ORSEC president is 
Minister of Security Titikpina.  We have been pleasantly 
surprised to see that Titikpina has been communicating 
regularly and effectively with the Togolese, via radio and 
television. 
 
¶3.  TOGOLESE RED CROSS:  The CDA and MDRO called on the 
president of the Red Cross, Mr. Gagno Paniah, to get his 
assessment of the flooding situation. Present in Togo since 
1959, the Red Cross is the oldest NGO in country and has a 
substantial network of some 14,000 volunteers throughout the 
country. Paniah has been involved in the organization for 30 
years and started out himself as a volunteer. The 
organization is starting to open offices in other cities in 
Togo in order to respond more quickly to disasters. Its 
mandate is to work in community health, vaccinations, and 
women's health in particular, and to assist during times of 
catastrophe and political violence. 
 
¶4.  The Red Cross has already been actively involved in 
assisting the Togolese population, working through the 
weekend to establish a plan. Volunteers are already present 
in many of the affected areas. These volunteers are 
conducting evaluations of the situation and sending their 
reports back to Lome. Paniah said that the volunteers need 
more training to deal adequately with the situation. They are 
teaching villagers how to treat water to make it potable. The 
biggest needs are for mosquito nets, water tablets, blankets 
and mats. Paniah also cited potential health problems, 
including cholera, malaria, and HIV. While the organizational 
structure is in place to assist the victims, the Red Cross 
lacks the resources needed to be more effective. 
 
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INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  FRANCE:  French Charge told us that the military 
engineering team (present in Togo since July 31) has returned 
to Cote d'Ivoire after surveying the bridge damage on 
National Route One.  Apparently, while the bridge furthest 
north needs to be completely rebuilt, the other two bridges 
can probably be repaired.  The French Charge explained that 
no decision has yet been made as to whether the French will, 
or will not, pay for and rebuilt the washed out bridge,   the 
team report still being awaited.  One French Puma helicopter 
remains in Togo and continues to airlift supplies from Lome 
to remote villages affected by the flooding.  As waters begin 
to recede, the French are increasingly focusing their 
attention on the infrastructure damage to Route One. 
 
¶6.  GHANA: Ghanaian military assistance, perhaps the first 
outside help to arrive here, has been receiving favorable 
attention in Togo.  Ghana has been providing a helicopter to 
help the Togolese transport supplies into areas cut off by 
the flooding.  The helicopter will remain active here for at 
least one more week.  An engineering unit is also on the 
ground and is expected to remain for as long as it is needed. 
 Part of the unit has been bringing flood victims out by 
boat, and five of its engineers have spent all of their time 
surveying the bridges, particularly along the main 
North/South artery, Route One.  The GOT is urging the 
Ghanaians to erect a Bailey Bridge at the main bottleneck at 
Amakpave, but Ghana does not have a spare one available.  The 
Ghanaians have asked if the U.S. could supply one.  We 
suggested waiting for the outcome of the French assessment 
and subsequent decision before exploring the possibility on 
our side. 
 
¶7.  UNDP: The UNDP returned from its second assessment 
mission.  It is expected to finalize its victim/damage report 
by August 5.  However, initial UNDP estimates tabulate: 
30,000-40,000 people have been affected by the flooding in 
one capacity of another, of which 20,000 people are direct 
victims of the flood.  4,000 families have been displaced. 
Six people have died, three are still missing and four are 
seriously injured.  The UNDP is hosting a donor community / 
humanitarian roundtable on August 5. 
 
 
TWINING