29 August 2008
Zinder — Weeks after floods ripped through Tillaberi, 120 kilometres west of Niamey, and Niger's second-largest city Zinder, 900 kilometres east of Niamey, thousands of people are still homeless.
According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), storms starting on 17 July and on 8 August have affected more than 40,000 people and destroyed about 400 agricultural fields and hundreds of homes.
At the Zengou Primary II School in Zinder, IRIN counted 2,573 people squatting in classrooms in two buildings on 20 August.
One of those victims, Absatou Malamilya, said even with the food she has received, conditions are not easy. "It has been 35 days that I have been eating manioc flour mixed with herbs. We are not sure how much longer we can stay here. But everything I have was washed away."
Hawa Adam said she and her 15 children came to the school after their home collapsed. "Yes, we normally get rain, but nothing like this year. But I cannot move. My husband is deceased and I cannot abandon his soul in our current home. Anyhow, I know the rains will just find us again."
Adam said a community leader distributed to her two straw mats, a blanket, three mosquito nets, four empty four-litre water bottles, 5 bars of soap, one sack of rice, and one sak of flour.
World Food Programme (WFP) representatives say they have distributed 140 tons of food to 16,000 flood victims in Zinder, and expect to distribute 12 more tons. These persons are ones who did not evacuate their homes.
Lansani Nassarou, director of the Zinder government committee in charge of distributions to flood victims pushed out of their homes, said people are still signing up to receive help.
OCHA estimates that Tillaberi flood victims will need more than 1,000 tons of food and more than US $36,000 to rebuild their homes.
WFP has indicated food distributions will began soon to 3,200 persons in Tillaberi.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
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