The floods currently affecting Central and West Africa have already impacted more than 700,000 people, according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
This alarming situation is the result of torrential rains that have hit the region just two months into the rainy season. “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned about the flooding in the region, which has already affected hundreds of thousands of people. Just two months into the rainy season, heavy rains and severe flooding have impacted more than 700,000 people in the Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, and Togo,” said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, during a press conference.
In response to the scale of the disaster, the United Nations, in collaboration with its partners, has intensified support to the governments of the affected countries. The assistance provided includes food distribution, shelter, and water and sanitation services.
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $10 million this year to the governments of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger. This aid is aimed at mitigating the effects of climate shocks, including floods, which continue to threaten millions of lives in sub-Saharan Africa.
