Over 5 Million Affected by Floods in West, Central Africa

On Thursday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 5 million people across 16 countries in West and Central Africa have been impacted by severe flooding this year.

The catastrophic floods have devastated regions, with Chad, Niger, and Nigeria among the hardest hit.

The flooding has claimed over 1,000 lives and displaced at least 740,000 people, while hundreds of thousands of homes, more than 100 schools, and numerous healthcare facilities have been damaged.

Nearly 500,000 acres of agricultural land have also been affected, exacerbating food security concerns in the region.

In response to the crisis, OCHA’s acting emergency relief coordinator, Joyce Msuya, announced the allocation of $35 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund.

This financial aid will be directed towards flood relief efforts in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Congo.

As extreme weather events continue to batter vulnerable regions, the need for swift humanitarian assistance remains critical to prevent further loss of life and mitigate long-term impacts on livelihoods and infrastructure.