The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, is providing $100,000 (more than 56 million FCFA) in disaster assistance for relief activities following devastating flooding across Senegal. The flood relief assistance is further evidence of the strong 60-year relationship between the United States and Senegal. The emergency funding, which was authorized in September by U.S. Ambassador Dr. Tulinabo Mushingi in a Disaster Declaration following a request by the Senegalese government, will support the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) assistance to the hardest hit households.

 U.S. Government funding will support activities to be implemented over the next four months, focusing on regions across Senegal with the most urgent and unmet needs and complementing ongoing interventions by the Government of Senegal and the NGO community.

Torrential rains at the beginning of September led to floods in almost the entire country, with some places receiving a year’s worth of rain in just 24 hours. Nationwide, hundreds of families have abandoned their homes to stay with other family members and friends, the emergency compromising their ability to adhere to physical distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The U.S. Government’s assistance will bolster more than $330,000 in IFRC funding already earmarked to help flood-affected families.