Due to flooding in Dakar caused by heavy rains, on 25 August 2013, the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated to support Senegal with its flood response efforts.
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters has been activated three times in the past two days to provide satellite imagery and maps regarding floods in Niger, Senegal and Nigeria. West African nations experience torrential rains during their annual rain season, but this season has been reported as the worst in 50 years.
The International Charter Space and Major Disasters was activated on Sunday 26 of August 2012 in the region of Diourbel, Senegal. The charter was activated by UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UNOCHA-ROWCA.
On Sunday 17 and Monday 18 October, the region of Saint-Louis and its surrounding areas received 98 mm of rains. The rain added to the already 325 mm downpour in August and September and brought the city into a catastrophic situation with many casualties and damages.
Torrential rain since Thursday, September, 2nd 2010 lead to floods in the main part of Senegal and many towns. The most affected, Dakar, the capital gathers in his suburbs (Pikine and Guediewaye Departements) more than 30,000 affected households. Departement of Velingara in the South of Senegal gathers 1,042 affected people with 105.5 ha of flooded farms. Source: OCHA- ROWCA
The Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE) was created in 1986 by the Senegalese government with the support of the Unite Nation Programme for the South Sahara Region (UNSO) and the funding of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Recent heavy rains in Senegal have caused severe floods in almost all suburbs of Dakar. Dozens of volunteers from the Senegalese Red Cross were dispatched to help disaster victims save their belongings and evacuate their flooded homes. 194 affected families received immediate assistance.