Africa, North

North Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, and includes seven countries or territories: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and western Sahara.

With the exception of Tunisia, the nations of North Africa are vulnerable to a host of natural hazards that often lead to disasters. These vulnerabilities include severe earthquakes, persistent or periodic droughts, dust storms, and mudslides and floods in the rainy season. Additionally, Egypt experiences the khamsin, a driving windstorm that may occur in the spring; Libya is subject to the ghibli, a hot, dry southern wind that often deposits dust over the land for several days during the spring and fall; and western Sahara undergoes the harmattan, a persistent, blinding haze, as well as sirocco winds that transport dust over large areas during the winter and spring. Countries such as Egypt and the Sudan are subject to potential disasters caused by susceptibility to foodborne, waterborne, and vectorborne diseases that may decimate a portion of the population. The poorest segments of these populations also suffer from ongoing disasters associated with poverty and malnutrition.

In addition to those disasters that occur naturally or in response to living conditions, there are those that result from clashing political ideologies. The Sudan, for instance, has become one of the most vulnerable and politically unstable countries in the world because of ethnic cleansing, which has been taking place in Darfur since 2003. Another politically volatile situation in North Africa is Egypt's proximity to the violently contested Gaza Strip. The humanitarian crisis that erupted in the area in December 2008 affected 1.5 million Palestinians and created massive demands for relief and medical assistance.

Because resources within the area are often limited, North Africa depends on outside agencies for considerable assistance in disaster relief reduction efforts and in dealing with emergencies when they do occur. In addition to individual efforts, the countries of North Africa have formed regional alliances to develop strategies for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response.

Vulnerabilities

Several small-scale disasters experienced by the people of North Africa early in the 21st century are typical of the types of incidences that frequently threaten lives and property, uproot people, and create concern for aid workers who are a constant presence in the region. In October 2005, torrential rains that accompanied a cold wave left 70 people dead in Morocco and destroyed homes, business, roads, bridges, and electric capabilities. On New Year's Eve 2007, returning Palestinian pilgrims found that Egyptian officials had unexpectedly [Page 2]closed the Rafah border, leaving 2,600 people stranded and in need of immediate aid. In September of the following year, mudslides caused eight 70-ton boulders to crash downward, leading to 98 deaths and 72 injuries in the Manshiyet Nasr shantytown of Cairo, Egypt. In all, 166,731 residents lost their homes during that disaster. The following month, 93 people were killed and a score of others wounded during floods in Algeria.

In northeastern Kenya, a hungry student receives a meal from the World Food Programme, funded by USAID

Large-scale disasters also occur in North Africa. Because of its geography, Egypt is prone to both earthquakes and flooding. In 1993, an earthquake struck Cairo, leaving 530 people dead and 4,000 injured. Thousands of people were left homeless. At least 139 buildings were destroyed, and another 2,682 were damaged extensively. Development patterns in many fertile areas have concentrated on agriculture, rather than housing, because of this propensity to destructive flooding. In 2003, the worst earthquake to hit Algeria since the early 1700s killed 2,278 people and injured 11,450 others. Approximately 200,000 Algerians became homeless when the quake destroyed their homes or rendered them inhabitable.

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