Children in Benin use a boat to navigate through their village, which was flooded in the recent heavy rains that have flooded half of the country.

In October 2010 CARE International launched an emergency response to help families suffering through the devastating flooding that affected nearly half of Benin.

At least 680,000 people were affected, and more than 150,000 people's homes were damaged or lost due to the floods.

Crops, food supplies and livestock were washed away by the floods, leaving 200,000 people in need of food assistance to survive until the next harvest in April, 2011. The government declared a state of emergency and asked for international assistance.

Heavy rains are continuing, and the waters have not yet started to recede. The standing water is also raising the risk of water-borne disease and malaria.

“Latrines have been flooded out, spreading waste in the same water that people are using to cook and bathe with. Families have told us that children are already suffering from diarrhoea,” said Huguette Sekpe, head of CARE’s emergency response in Benin, who just returned from the flood zone. “Water purification tablets will help prevent disease, but we need to reach people more quickly.”

Affected areas are only reachable by boat, with floodwaters as high as two metres in some villages. Many families have taken refuge in medical centres or schools, the only buildings that remained above the floodwaters. Others have stayed behind to protect their homes, using wood to create platforms to stay above the water.

CARE distributed water purification tablets and reached thousands of households with basic necessities such as soap, blankets and mats. CARE also arranged medical care for young children and pregnant women.

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