In response to the severe flooding in Sierra Leone, significantly impacting communities, farmland, businesses and infrastructure, the European Union (EU) has released 200,000 euros in humanitarian funding to meet the most urgent needs.

This EU funding will help the Sierra Leone Red Cross to provide emergency assistance to 1,800 flood-affected households (12,600 people) in the four worst-affected districts, mostly through multipurpose cash transfers to cope with their emergency needs (lost items, food, water and sanitation, non-food items…), health promotion, first-aid and psychosocial support, as well as disaster mitigating interventions.

The heavy rains severely impacted the livelihoods of 23,596 people in 27 communities. A total of 167 buildings, including 27 critical infrastructures such as schools, hospitals and places of worship collapsed, further disrupting essential services. In addition, 7,324 hectares of farmland were submerged, resulting in major crop losses that threaten the food security and long-term economic recovery of over 1,500 farmers.

The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The recent floods in Sierra Leone have caused massive devastation in many districts that did not experience floods in recent years, affecting both rural and urban areas. Heavy rainfall from Guinea, particularly from rivers originating in the Futa Jallon highlands, has triggered this situation, exacerbating the country's flooding crisis.

Background

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €9.5 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund was established in 1979 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF.  For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €9.5 million.