O 051812Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8703
INFO AMEMBASSY ACCRA 
AMEMBASSY COTONOU 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR 
AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS LOME 000405 
 
 
AID/W FOR OFDA 
DAKAR FOR OFDA 
ACCRA FOR USAID AND DATT 
USUN FOR SHANKS 
ROME FOR USAID/OHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID SENV TO
SUBJECT: TOGO FLOODS: GOT/UN EVALUATION REPORT 
 
REF: A. LOME 400 
     ¶B. LOME 401 
 
¶1. Summary.  A joint evaluation concludes that the flooding 
is serious, though not catastrophic.  Heavy rains are 
underway in northern Togo that merit continued attention. 
Donors are committing to assistance.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. UNDP convened a meeting of international donors August 5 
to present the conclusions of a joint GOT/UN System 
evaluation report on the recent floods in Togo.  A mission 
visited six key parts of the affected area.  It found data 
difficult to pin down but concluded that as many as 20,000 
persons, and perhaps more, have been directly affected by the 
flooding, resulting in six deaths, three missing persons, and 
nine bridges down, with others in bad condition.  Attention 
is focused currently on the downstream area of Togo near the 
Benin border, where the Zio River pours into a rising Lake 
Togo and the large Mono River comes out nearby.  (An EmbOff 
will be visiting the area August 6).  The WFP representative 
presenting the conclusions also urged participants to watch 
carefully the rains now falling in northern Togo.  The city 
of Kara is already having twice the rainfall this year as 
last, and the Savanes area toward Burkina is having heavy 
rains. 
 
¶3. The evaluation team mentioned current concerns: potable 
water and contaminated wells, health issues, crop damage 
(particularly along rivers, but varying, with resulting price 
increases in staples), housing, the overall economic impact 
(importance of the port to inland West Africa, the 
deterioration of alternate land routes), school furnishings. 
Mention was made of the numbers of displaced persons 
currently sheltering in area schools, including the large 
camp at Baguida, just outside Lome, which the Togolese Armed 
Forces are running very effectively. 
 
¶4. Following presentation of the report, donor support was 
reviewed: 
 
-- France.  Engineers are uncertain how much weight of trucks 
the railroad bridge next to the washed out large bridge at 
Amakpave will be able to carry.  He advised that the 
Kpalime-Atakpame bypass road will not carry heavy traffic 
much longer, and laterite has been put on a second bypass 
road Agou-Notse as reinforcement.  Restoration of the 
North/South highway is imperative, not least of which for 
transport of food.  A French helicopter transporting Togolese 
goods is departing country August 5.  (We mentioned that a 
Ghanaian military helicopter is remaining in country for the 
same purpose for another week, ref B.  No Togolese military 
helicopters seem to be operable.) 
 
-- U.S.  We reported submitting a disaster declaration August 
4 and are awaiting a response from Washington. 
 
-- Germany.  A German Red Cross representative is in country, 
and the government expects to provide some 50,000 euros. 
 
-- EU.  It sees the problem mainly as a flash flood type of 
situation, with water now going down.  It is assisting the 
Togolese Red Cross and considering switching some money for 
road projects to support road repair. 
 
-- ECOWAS.  The organization is very concerned about the 
impact on the Sahel countries.  (Note that an ECOWAS 
delegation is currently visiting to make its own evaluation.) 
 
 
-- West African Development Bank.  The Bank has committed to 
financing the rebuilding on the key Amakpave bridge on Route 
One. 
 
-- CRS, ADRA, CARITAS.  All expect to provide some emergency 
financing for supplies and foodstuffs. 
 
-- WFP.  2,500 tons of food are currently arriving for 
assistance to the far North, and authorization is being 
sought to divert 400 tons for emergency use, for later 
replacement. 
 
-- UNICEF.  Some items are on hand, which can be provided. 
The organization is also looking at food needs for the very 
young. 
 
-- World Bank.  Some crisis funds are available. 
 
-- UNFPA.  Both limited funding and hygiene kits are being 
provided. 
 
-- WHO.  It has already provided Health authorities with some 
supplies and has been promised $45,000 from headquarters. 
 
-- UNDP.  It is tapping into some emergency funding.  It also 
concludes that the crisis is not as bad as originally feared. 
 
-- FAO.  While not contributing anything, the representative 
asked participants to bear in mind the need for seeds to 
enable farmers to do a second planting of corn to replace 
destroyed fields. 
 
 
TWINING