The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a $400,000 emergency grant to support the Comoros' response to severe flooding and a cholera outbreak that hit the archipelago between February and June.

The grant from the Bank's Special Relief Fund, will provide direct assistance to 4,000 flood-affected individuals across the three islands that constitute the Union of the Comoros. Beneficiaries will receive emergency packages containing food, drinking water, and hygiene products to meet primary needs in the disaster situation.

The grant will also fund medical and sanitation supplies to prevent and treat the cholera outbreak. It includes provisions for improved sanitation through potable water distribution via tankers to the affected populations. A monitoring system will be implemented to ensure transparency and effectiveness of the Bank's support.

The Comoros archipelago has experienced extreme weather conditions, resulting in floods that caused significant physical damage and economic losses. Infrastructure and crops have been destroyed, health risks have increased, and cholera has resurged across the three islands since February, particularly in Anjouan. As of 22 July 2024, 10,329 cholera cases were being treated.

The flooding has affected at least 66,835 people, causing three deaths, 14 injuries, and displacing 149 families. It has inundated 1,117 houses and destroyed 16. An estimated 70 percent of crops have been washed away, and vital infrastructure damaged.