Cape Verde activates state of emergency after floods kill nine
Cape Verde has declared a state of emergency after deadly floods which have killed nine people according to BBC News on August 13th.
The state of emergency, activated on the islands of Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, catalyses crisis funds and urgent infrastructure repairs to the Atlantic Ocean islands.
Flash floods on August 11th were triggered by Tropical Storm Erin, leading to 193 mm of rainfall in just 5 hours, significantly above Sao Vicente’s annual average.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Olavo Correia, said the floods were “catastrophic”, with 1,500 people also being displaced by the floods.
Rescue teams are conducting searches for missing people, whilst critical infrastructure such as roads and housing have been severely damaged.
Flash flooding is becoming increasingly prevalent across the African continent, with Nigeria recently experiencing devastating floods along with South Sudan suffering from severe flooding which has led to displacement of residents.
Ester Brito, from Cape Verde’s meteorology institute said that the weather conditions were abnormal.
“It is a rare situation because what was recorded is above our 30-year climatologist average.”
She added that the country does not have the radar equipment required to forecast the extent of the rains, affecting proactive evacuation and safety procedures.
These concerns echo an overarching consensus that governments in Africa are not prioritising action around climate resiliency, as well as how governments are mismanaging the aftermath of natural disasters.
Authorities in Cape Verde hope the activation of the state of emergency will provide much needed help immediately considering the strength of the flooding.
Alveno Yali, a community organiser in Sao Vicente, the worst affected Island, described the phenomenon as “an incredible moment of heavy rains, strong winds and flash floods, resulting in significant material losses.”
Outside the borders of Cape Verde, the Cape Verdean diaspora in France, Luxembourg, Portugal and the US have launched urgent crowdfunding campaigns, with tens of thousands of euros already having been raised.
According to Andreia Levy, president of Hello Cabo Verde in France, the entire diaspora was mobilised and want to deliver aid directly to those in need.
BBC News, Maghrebi.org
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