Widespread floods claim over 1 000 lives, leave 4 million affected in West and Central Africa
Widespread floods in West and Central Africa, caused by extraordinary torrential rains since July 2024, killed at least 1 000 people and affected 4 million. The floods destroyed 300 000 homes and displaced 500 000 people. The catastrophic humanitarian situation, aggravated by the northward passage of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), has resulted in widespread damage to homes, schools, medical facilities, swaths of farmland, and heightening the risk of water-borne diseases, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
Image credit: EU Humanitarian Aid | West and Central Africa
- The worst affected countries are Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.
- Authorities are reporting extensive damage to homes, schools, health facilities, and swaths of farmland, heightening the risk of water-borne diseases, food insecurity, and malnutrition
Severe floods affecting West and Central Africa since July have claimed the lives of at least 1 000 people, displaced 500 000, and affected more than 4 million. The floods destroyed 300 000 homes, as well as schools, farmlands, and medical institutions.
The worst affected are Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.
The destruction of homes and health facilities has left vast areas with limited access to health care. Water-borne diseases, such as cholera, are growing, and there is a substantial chance of subsequent outbreaks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to local media reports, dead snakes and crocodiles have been recorded floating alongside human bodies in certain regions.
In Nigeria, the current floods are the worst in 30 years and have affected more than 1 million people in 15 of the country’s 36 states, with the states in the north and north-eastern regions the worst hit. Entire communities, health facilities, schools, and farmlands have been inundated.
More than a million people have been affected in Niger also, with Maradi, Zinder, Dosso, and Tillabery regions the worst affected, according to WHO. Additionally, the country is also experiencing a cholera outbreak in Agadez, Moradi, Tahoua, and Zinder.
In Mali, over 179 000 people have been affected. The major challenges include poor access to clean drinking water, shelter, hygiene kits, and essential medicines.
In Cameroon, Chad, and Guinea, widespread flood devastation has also left hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of emergency assistance, with farmlands, homes, and key infrastructure destroyed or damaged. In Chad, all 23 regions have been affected, while in Cameroon health services have been disrupted in the affected regions.
The scenario has compounded the region’s already severe humanitarian issues, such as food shortages and high malnutrition rates.
“The extent and severity of the floods are unprecedented with dire devastation among some of the most vulnerable communities in the region,” health experts, including WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, stated.
The torrential rains began in July 2024 and have persisted until September, with varying intensity.
Meteorologists forecast that the rains will continue in the following weeks, escalating a terrible humanitarian scenario. Some countries, such as Nigeria, face their worst floods in 30 years.
Weather patterns in West and Central Africa have been further influenced by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moving northward, resulting in above-average rainfall.
The Sahara Desert, which is generally dry, has seen extraordinary greening due to this shift while overflowing rivers in the region have exacerbated the flooding situation.
References:
1 Devastating West and Central Africa floods affect over 4 million people, raise health risks – WHO Africa – September 21, 2024
2 Floods in Niger claim 217 lives and displace 353 000 – The Watchers – September 1, 2024
3 Alau Dam collapse floods 40 percent of Maiduguri, leaves at least 30 dead and 1 million affected, Nigeria – The Watchers – September 12, 2024
4 National flood disaster declared in Mali, nearly 30 000 buildings destroyed – The Watchers – September 18, 2024
5 Floods in Chad affect 1.5 million since start of rainy season, claim 341 lives – The Watchers – September 19, 2024
6 Satellite images reveal Sahara desert turning green – The Watchers – September 18, 2024
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