Guinea Humanitarian Background Additional Information
The condition of the roads listed below is medium
Conakry – Dubréka – Boffa – Boké Kamasar – Boké – Sangaredi Conakry – Mamou - Labé Kouroussa Kankan Kankan – Siguiri – Kourémalé (Bamako) Kissidougou – Faranah Bouméoul – Kiffaya –
Koundara – Saraboïlo (Sénégal). Paved road sections undergoing deterioration, but still accessible
with relative ease (speed reduce to 60-40 km/h): Boffa – Kolabouli Mamou – Faranah Kissidougou –
Kankan Mamou – Kouroussa Coyah – Forécariah Kankan – Beyla - Senko (Ivory Coast – Odienné)
Several weak bridges, with serious potential for collapse, as well as trucks overturning in the mud.
The road listed below are consider to be not accessible during the rainy season : Labé – Kounsitel –
Bouméoul Forecariah – Kambia (Freetown) Kissidougou – Nzérékoré Kankan – Madiana – Saladou
(Ivory Coast) Kankan – Madiana – Niantanina (Mali) Koundara – Sareboïdo – Kindia (Guinea Bisau –
Burumtuma) Gaoul – Koumbia – Foulamôri (Guinea Bisau) Siguiri – Dinguiraye – Tougué
Carriers using small trucks (10mt and) and they should transfer the food on 2 or 3 mt truck to reach
final destinations. Sometimes the transfer is done on traditional strollers. Many tracks in Forest
Guinea, especially along the Liberian and Ivory Coast borders, have muddy areas. One must also use
caution along the eastern part of high Guinea, around Mandiana. Truck companies employ rate hike
techniques because of their loss of profits stemming from the poor conditions of many roadways.
During the rainy season, the cost can increase by as much as 30%, and truck drivers may refuse to
drive to some areas. Another reason is the river during the dry season. When the river is dry the
barge is not able to move because the small quantity of water: Kankan – Madiana – Niantanina
(Ivory Coast). The driver should go through Kankan – Madiana – Saladou (Ivory Coast). This deviation
is 100km plus. The other reason is the tray or barge not functioning Siguiri – Dinguiraye
climate in Guinea seriously affects the transport. The availability of private transportation is not a
problem. Access to primary and secondary roads during rainy season (May to October) and even in
the dry season in some place is the crucial problem. Road maintenance services do not exist, that
cause rapid deterioration of roads. The northern part of the country (Mali-Senegal border) is
completely abandoned because the road is seriously damage.
A barge used on the Bafing river is completely down taking the track between Dinguiraye and
Tougué out of road map.
Some roads are really impracticable during rainy season. It is strongly recommended to do the pre
positioning of stocks in the whole South East (N'zérékoré), North (Kankan) and North West (Labé)
part of the country. All stocks must be closer to beneficiaries before the month of May.
The coastal region of Guinea and most of the inland have a tropical climate, with a rainy season
lasting from April to November, relatively high and uniform temperatures, and high humidity.
Conakry's year-round average high is 29 °C (84.2 °F), and the low is 23 °C (73.4 °F); its average annual
rainfall is 4,300 mm (169.3 in). Sahelian Upper Guinea has a shorter rainy season and greater daily
temperature variations.
Government and Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms / Committees / Groups
Organisation
Name
UNCT
UN Country Team – Head of UN agencies – for operational issues
SMT
Security Management team – Head of UN agencies – For security issues
COPIA
Head of UN agencies + NGO’s + Government – Coordination team for
emergencies
Clusters
UN focal point + NGO’s + Government – Emergency response team
The mechanism of emergency preparedness is functional in Guinea and more enhanced forest
Guinea (Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone) border zone.
Heads of United Nations agencies, NGOs representatives of and Government representatives
participate at different levels in emergency preparedness.
The SMT and UNCT are heads of UN agencies meetings, involved in security questions and
operational issues and ahead by the Resident Coordinator.
COPIA coordinates emergency operations and brings together heads or Deputy of UN Agency, NGOs
and Government.
Cluster put together all sectors (different clusters) lead by focal point nominated by agencies
according to their mandate. Different cluster are represented in the forest Guinea in sectorial meeting.
UN agencies send out join appeal of funds for emergency. A call for funds of the CAPE is ongoing
involving UNHCR, WFP. CERF funds are also requested from time to time depending on the type of
emergency.