Floods devastate Sahel, over 30 dead, millions displaced

Over 30 individuals have lost their lives, and around one million people are affected, mostly residing in camps without food and clean water. Floods, triggered by a dam burst following heavy rainfall in the Sahel region, have brought severe consequences. Aid agencies caution about potential waterborne disease outbreaks as they struggle to manage the crisis.

In northeastern Borno state, Nigeria, residents face challenges in accessing medical care. The region is experiencing its most severe floods in three decades, affecting over a million people. Many are in camps lacking essential supplies. The floods strain both aid agencies and government resources, worsening an already critical humanitarian situation.

The floods originated when heavy rains caused a dam to burst, impacting areas in Cameroon, Chad, Mali, and Niger within the Sahel region, typically known for its dry climate. In the last two weeks of August, floods displaced over 1.5 million people across 12 West and Central African countries, resulting in approximately 465 deaths, according to the United Nations humanitarian affairs office. Over the weekend, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported that an additional 50,000 individuals were displaced in northeastern Nigeria.

People in Nigeria’s flood-hit northeastern Borno state are struggling to get medical care as overwhelmed aid agencies warn of an outbreak of waterborne disease following the worst floods to hit the region in three decades https://t.co/NRxQtJctkJ pic.twitter.com/vWaTgD7nFy

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 16, 2024

Hassane Hamadou, the NRC’s Central and West Africa regional director, highlighted the dire situation in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, citing the compounded effects of conflict, displacement, and climate change on vulnerable populations.

Simultaneously, Europe is also grappling with floods following days of torrential rain, causing rivers to overflow in several parts of the continent.

In a camp in Maiduguri, Borno’s state capital, Bintu Amadu, among hundreds, waited hours to see a doctor for her son’s diarrhoea. “We haven’t received any aid, and our attempts to see a doctor have been unsuccessful. We’ve been waiting for medical attention since yesterday,” she expressed. Ramatu Yajubu managed to get an appointment card after waiting for days but remained doubtful about receiving timely care due to the overwhelming demand.

Years of Islamist insurgency have displaced many from their farms. Mathias Goemaere, a field coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières, noted that even before the floods, Borno’s residents faced malnutrition. “They are exposed to their environment, leading to numerous waterborne diseases, diarrhoea, and mosquito-borne malaria,” Goemaere stated. “Malnutrition has left many immuno-suppressed, making them more susceptible to diseases.”

Nigeria’s government has also warned of rising water levels in the Benue and Niger rivers, which could result in flooding in the oil-rich Niger Delta region in the south.