Chad issues alert as heavy rains and deadly floods kill over 500 people
Oct. 5, 2024, 12:05 a.m.
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Chad’s authorities were on alert Friday after heavy rains swelled two major rivers, as the country struggles to recover from deadly floods that have already killed 503 people.
The water level of the Chari River has risen by over eight meters (26 feet) in the past 10 days or so, Prime Minister Allamaye Halina said.
N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, is located where the Logone and Chari rivers flow into each other, and both rivers had been swollen by the heavy rains, Halina said.
Advertisement The severe flooding in Chad since July has had a devastating impact, affecting approximately 1.7 million people, destroying 164,000 homes, inundating 250,000 hectares of farmland, and causing the death of 60,000 cattle.
The floods have spared none of the country’s provinces.
Already in early September, the UN warned of the impact of “torrential rains and severe flooding” in the wider region, particularly in Chad.
The IOM has urged immediate action and funding to address the challenges posed by climate change.
Torrential rains in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have resulted in a tragic loss of life, with over 1,500 people confirmed dead, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).