N’DJAMENA: Weeks of devastating flooding across Chad have resulted in the deaths of at least 341 people and left around 1.5 million people affected, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.
The UN said that the devastating floods have impacted all 23 provinces of Chad, causing widespread destruction and disrupting lives across the nation of about 16 million people. The disaster has led to the destruction of around 164,000 homes, the loss of nearly 70,000 heads of cattle, and the ruin of 259,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of agricultural fields.
The flooding has been particularly severe in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Last week, 14 students and a teacher tragically lost their lives when a school building collapsed under the weight of torrential rains in the Ouaddai province, located in Chad’s semi-arid east.
In mid-August, floods in the Tibesti province in Chad’s arid north resulted in at least 54 fatalities. This region, known for its typically minimal annual rainfall of around 200 mm, has experienced such intense rainfall only once every five to ten years, Idriss Abdallah Hassan, director of meteorological observation and forecasting at Chad’s National Meteorological Agency said.
The UN urged for immediate action and increased funding to address the crisis. The organization has emphasized the urgent need for support to manage the escalating humanitarian situation and to mitigate the effects of climate change.
South Sudan has also faced severe flooding, affecting more than 700,000 people, according to a report by OCHA on September 5.
This summer has marked unprecedented global heat, with record temperatures, heatwaves, droughts, and severe flooding being reported worldwide.
