Ongoing floods have led to a crisis in West and Central Africa. More than four million people have been affected in 14 countries, including over one million in Maiduguri, the capital and biggest city in Borno State, Nigeria. Other affected countries include Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Liberia, Mali and Niger. At least 1,000 people have died in the rainy season so far, and hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed.
While this is typically the rainy season in this part of the world, these rains are unusually heavy and, in some cases, the worst floods in 30 years. They were anticipated to end in September, but new forecasts anticipate ongoing rain through November.
The floods worsen pre-existing conditions in many affected countries, including poverty, hunger and malnutrition, instability, conflict and lack of employment and educational opportunities.
(Photo: Evacuation of stranded flood victims by the emergency response team of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Sept. 12, 2024. Credit: NEMA Nigeria via Facebook)
