Disasters in Togo

Togo has a formal national disaster risk reduction and civil protection system, although local implementation and access to equipment remain uneven. The ANPC is a public administrative institution under the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection. It coordinates prevention, risk assessment, emergency response, rescue, exercises, public information, training and protection for displaced people and refugees. The National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (PNRRC), the National Contingency Plan (PNC) and Plan ORSEC-Togo organise responsibilities and cooperation during major emergencies. The main hazards identified in the PNC include floods, severe storms and winds, epidemics, animal and crop diseases, and emergency consequences linked to the Sahel crisis. Within disaster protection, the Sahel crisis concerns displacement, infrastructure damage, shortages and humanitarian assistance; armed conflict and crime analysis belong to other subject areas. Other documented hazards include dry periods and drought, vegetation fires, landslides, coastal erosion, damaging rain and thunderstorms, food insecurity and water-related health risks. Flood exposure is especially high in Grand Lomé and in the Mono, Haho and Zio basins, including areas around retention basins. Northern, Savanes and Volta Basin areas face river flooding as well as drought and Sahel-related exposure. Coastal communities face erosion and coastal flooding. Settlements near rivers or depressions, inadequate drainage and waste management, erosion and deforestation, fragile buildings, limited warning coverage, difficult access and shortages of shelters or specialised staff can increase the consequences. National coordination involves the ANPC, the PNRRC and the National Operations Coordination Centre (CNOU). At regional and prefectural level, the governor, prefect and regional ANPC services coordinate action. The mayor has a central local role. Regional and prefectural disaster risk reduction platforms may include communes, Community Development Committees (CVD), neighbourhood development committees (CDQ), traditional leaders and religious leaders. Firefighters, the gendarmerie, police, armed forces, health services, water and energy agencies, infrastructure services, the Togolese Red Cross, United Nations organisations, NGOs and other partners may provide response or assistance. Preparedness uses contingency planning, Plan ORSEC revisions, annual Grand Lomé flood preparedness planning before the rainy season, municipal risk-reduction plans for 2023–2027 in ten exposed communes, risk mapping and exercises. ANPC reporting has recorded risk mapping for 92 of 117 communes. Exercises and simulations test procedures and equipment, including a 2026 exercise in MIA Dzrado. These measures do not guarantee that every locality has the same resources or shelter capacity. Early warnings combine weather and hydrological monitoring with public communication. ANAMET and METEO TOGO issue weather, rainfall, flood, climate and risk-reduction information, including seasonal, five-day, three-day and daily forecasts. The early warning system, known as Système d’Alerte Précoce (SAP), can use hydrological gauges, FEWS, FUNES, FANFAR and community warning markers. Messages may spread through TG-Alert+, mobile networks, media, digital platforms, sirens, telephone calls and local or traditional channels. Cell-broadcast expansion under the Early Warnings for All programme was underway from 20 August 2026. National coverage is not yet complete, and a comprehensive wind-risk map is not available everywhere, so a missing alert must not be treated as proof that no danger exists. A person who sees an emergency can contact the mairie, a local emergency post, a gendarmerie brigade or a police station. Regional or prefectural escalation can involve the regional ANPC service, the prefect or the governor. Local ORSEC action can be initiated by the mayor, prefect or governor; national ORSEC action is initiated by the minister responsible for civil protection after an ANPC assessment. Authorities can escalate when local resources are insufficient. International assistance is considered when national capacity cannot meet the need. Immediate response may include rapid assessment, rescue, securing people from danger, evacuation, pumping and drainage, clearing debris, firefighting, traffic and infrastructure protection, registration of affected people, regular situation meetings and public communication. The CNOU supports operational coordination. Official information should be checked carefully because false or outdated messages can obstruct rescue work. During a flood or severe storm, follow an official evacuation instruction, leave flood-prone areas and riverbanks, and stay away from unstable buildings and damaged infrastructure. Reception sites and temporary camps for affected people are identified through ORSEC arrangements and local authorities; there is no single nationally published public map of routes and accommodation that applies everywhere. Children, pregnant people, people with disabilities and older people should receive priority assistance. Report the location, type of danger, number of people affected and access conditions when requesting help. The ANPC emergency number is 170, a free number. The ANPC WhatsApp contact is 91 11 24 24. An official 2026 flood warning also listed 117, 118, 171, 172, 1014 and 1244. The fee situation for numbers other than the free 170 service has not been established in the available information. A report should state the exact locality or landmark, whether people are trapped or injured, whether roads or bridges are blocked and whether vulnerable people need assistance. Relief normally follows a rapid needs assessment rather than an automatic payment or universal entitlement. Assistance may include tents or other shelter, food, drinking water, sanitation and hygiene support, cooking and non-food kits, mobile clinics, medical and psychosocial care, temporary schools, protection services and resettlement or reintegration kits. The ANPC, social action services, health services, communes, the Togolese Red Cross, assistance clusters, United Nations organisations, NGOs and other partners may participate. Families hosting displaced people should also be considered in assessments. A general automatic evacuation benefit, cash payment or standard national compensation rate has not been established in the available information. The PNC 2025 flood scenario assumes 400,000 people affected, about 100,000 displaced or otherwise in need of emergency shelter, 200 injured people, 25 missing people, 25 deaths, damage to 20,000–25,000 hectares of farmland, 10,000–12,000 animals and about 800 kilometres of roads. Its assumed emergency period is about 30 days. A separate severe-wind scenario assumes 20,000 people affected, 500 injured people, five missing people, 20 deaths, damage to 3,000 hectares of crops, 6,000 tonnes of stored goods and 4,000 animals, with an assumed emergency period of about three months. These are planning assumptions, not forecasts, guarantees or fixed limits for an actual event. Recovery begins with rapid assessment of damage and losses. Authorities and partners may prioritise roads, bridges, drainage, water and energy systems, schools, health centres, markets and homes. ANASAP may support cleaning, waste removal, pumping and removal of blocked material. The RPR-Togo programme, meaning Répondre, Protéger, Reconstruire, supports a response, protection and reconstruction approach, while Plan ORSEC refers to restoring affected public assets. No fixed nationwide deadline for rebuilding or restoring services has been established. The duration and cost of accommodation, relief and repairs depend on the damage, access, available resources and local decisions. Togo's preparedness capacity still faces partial risk mapping, limited pre-positioning of supplies, shortages of rescue equipment, shelters and personnel, weak crisis communication, difficult access to remote areas and the absence of a clearly documented national emergency fund. Practical protection therefore depends on receiving warnings through more than one channel, knowing the nearest commune, gendarmerie or police contact, keeping essential documents and medicines accessible, and following local evacuation instructions. People should not assume that a business name, private shelter or informal message represents an official disaster decision.