Severe Flooding in West and Central Africa Claims Over 1,000 Lives
More than 1,000 people have died and at least 740,000 have been displaced due to devastating floods across West and Central Africa, impacting over 5 million individuals in 16 countries, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday citing the United Nations.
The hardest-hit nations—Chad, Niger, and Nigeria—account for over 80% of the affected population.
The floods, caused by heavy rainfall, have wreaked havoc in the Sahel region, damaging hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, and healthcare facilities. Approximately half a million acres of farmland have been destroyed, exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in Chad and Niger. The UN warns that these dire conditions are increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, particularly in Niger and Nigeria.
In response to the crisis, Joyce Msuya, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, has allocated $35 million to support relief efforts in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Congo. However, the UN emphasizes that additional funding is urgently required.
In Nigeria, $5 million has been designated to assist 280,000 people with essential needs like food, clean water, and shelter, alongside efforts to prevent cholera outbreaks. Despite these efforts, Nigeria’s $927 million Humanitarian Response Plan is only 46% funded, highlighting the urgent need for further assistance.
