from SOULEYMANE ADAMU in Niamey, Niger
Niger Bureau
NIAMEY, (CAJ News) – TORRENTIAL rains and severe flooding have affected more than 6,5 million people in West and Central Africa in 2024.
This figure already exceeds last year’s total for the region across the entire year by more than 40 percent.
In 2024, out of 16 countries that have been hard hit by flooding, the most affected ones are Chad with 1,9 million affected people, followed by Niger with 1,3 million, Nigeria with 1,2 million and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 1,1 million.
Cameroon, Mali and Guinea have a combined total of over 800 000 affected people.
As of October 5, more than 979 000 people have been internally displaced due to flooding in eleven countries, notably Nigeria, Cameroon, the DRC, Liberia, Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR).
“Floods have also severely affected livelihoods and access to basic social services,” lamented a humanitarian spokesperson.
More than 601,000 houses were destroyed or damaged.
Flooding also affected 555 schools and 169 health facilities.
In the last fortnight, nearly 2,2 million people were affected in the regions.
Some 413 people were reported dead and 1 129 injured, bringing the totals for the year to date to 1 463 dead and 4 351 injured, respectively.
Furthermore, more than 221 000 hectares of agricultural land were affected, bringing the total area unsuitable for agricultural and livestock production to about 720 000 hectares.
An estimated 16 000 head of cattle have also been swept away by the floods, raising the total to approximately 120 000 for the year to date.
– CAJ News