MAURITANIA: Seasonal storm leaves seven dead

NOUAKCHOTT, 24 July 2006 (IRIN) - At least seven people died and dozens more were injured when a seasonal storm ripped through Mauritania’s south central regions of Trarza and Brakna at the weekend, according to state-run radio. Normally, the rainy season that runs from July to October is highly anticipated in this dry, arid country that frequently suffers from water shortages. But when the rains arrived on Saturday they brought unexpected devastation. Wind flattened houses and flooded villages. Two people died in the town of Boutilimit, 154 km east of the capital Nouakchott, and five members of a family, including three children, perished in the village of Ednesh, near the southern town of Aleg in the Brakna region. The government said at least 300 families were left homeless. A crisis committee organized by the government arrived 24 hours after the storm struck and distributed about 150 tents and food and blankets to those in need. Despite efforts by local social services, officials said additional attention needed to be focused on sanitation to help stem the spread of disease. With the rainy season just beginning, threat of flooding looms, especially in Aleg, where an unfinished dyke built around the town is quickly filling with water because it lacks a drainage system. hma/kd/cs