UNICEF says that “even worse” floods are expected and warns that this “could aggravate the situation” of the population
September 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The severe flooding in recent weeks in several areas of West and Central Africa has so far affected four million people and displaced 500,000, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday, which has warned that “even worse” flooding is expected during the rest of the year, which could worsen the situation for the inhabitants of these regions.
The floods, which are spreading from Liberia to Nigeria and affecting parts of Central Africa, have also destroyed more than 300,000 homes. A dam burst this week in northeastern Nigeria inundated part of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, with some 200,000 people affected.
“Even worse flooding is expected later in the year, which could worsen the situation for children and families in the region,” said UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa Gilles Fagninou. “Severe weather events are increasingly impacting the region, making the environment more difficult for children who are already struggling to realise their basic rights to survival, safety and education.”
The floods in this part of the continent, which have had a greater impact than last year’s – when they left 692,000 people homeless at this time of year, although by the end of 2023 the figure had risen to 4.5 million – have also caused damage to more than 60 schools and thirteen health centres, which deepens the impact on the resident population.
In Chad, one of the hardest hit countries, rains have caused flooding since late July, affecting nearly 1.5 million people, killing 145 people and destroying 70,000 homes, according to authorities. The situation is also hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Sudanese region of Darfur, on the other side of the border, in the midst of the civil war that broke out in April 2023.
UNICEF has highlighted that its activities in Chad have included the construction of latrines for 2,200 people and the rehabilitation of water points for 3,000, while essential household supplies were distributed to some 1,000 people, as well as therapeutic food for children under five years of age.
In addition, the agency is supporting the registration of affected people in relocation sites in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), while working with the Chadian Red Cross to distribute supplies such as tents, plastic mats, blankets, clothing and shoes.
In Nigeria, UNICEF is deploying health and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to flood-affected areas, while in Mali it has delivered emergency household and sanitation items, deployed mobile health clinics, established child-friendly spaces and increased community messaging on hygiene and sanitation.
UNICEF’s office in Niger, where there are some 650,000 people affected, is distributing malaria kits to cover the needs of 22,000 people, as well as water treatment supplies, 900,000 bars of soap and essential household items, and constructing 150 emergency latrines. An estimated 650,000 people have been affected by the floods.
The agency has therefore indicated that it urgently needs six million dollars (about 5.4 million euros) in flexible emergency funds to reach the most vulnerable children and families affected by the floods in the West and Central Africa region.
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