Two Thirds of Benin Are Underwater Due to Months of Heavy Rain.

October 24, 2010

Benin –

            The small West African nation of Benin has been hit with the worst flooding since the 1960’s. Months of intense rain have left more than two thirds of the extremely poor nation underwater and helpless. Much of the country is made up of rural villages that have no modern technology what so ever. Almost 700,000 people have been affected according to the estimates done by the UN refugee agency. Areas that were not previously vulnerable to flooding have likely been effected and many entire villages have been completely whipped out.

Amidst the after math there are several major concerns. The first is the health factor; about 800 cases of cholera have been reported and each day this number drastically rises, with about 100 more everyday. The water that has now engulfed these villages and trapped villagers on their roofs is very contaminated, due to the lack of swage systems in the area.  Clean water for drinking and bathing is also needed immediately. The worst part of this is that the rain is not supposed to let up for some time according to meteorologists interviewed by the BBC.

There is help on the way, medical supplies, and shelter will be flown in from Denmark in the coming days. This disaster has proved to be a trying tine for the small nations infrastructure that will be heavily tested as so many people need to utilize the few shelters, hospitals, and clinics that the country has.