Investments in preparedness, prevention and response measures needed to mitigate impact on people's livelihoods and well-being
Just two months into the 2024 rainy season in West and Central Africa, torrential rains and severe flooding have affected 716,473 people in the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and Togo. In addition, at least 72 people are reported to have lost their lives due to drowning and 699 others have been injured.
"Every year, we sound the alarm on the effects of climate change and what it means for people's actual lives: their homes, their ability to farm and to eat, to send their kids to school, to access basic health care," noted Charles Bernimolin, Head of the UN Humanitarian Coordination office for West and Central Africa. "Meaningful and strategic investments need to be made to ensure communities are prepared and that the worst impacts are mitigated ahead of time," he stressed.
So far, Chad is the worst-hit country, with 246, 883 people affected by the high waters in just a few weeks.
The floods, which in many cases affect the same communities year after year, have also severely affected livelihoods and basic social services, undermining the ability of communities to provide themselves and forcing them into reliance on aid to survive in dignity.
Access to health care and basic education is hampered with dozens of schools and medical centres destroyed or damaged.
Food production and food security are also at stake with at least 25,726 hectares of farmland damaged and 4,205 livestock killed.
Key buildings and infrastructure are also hit: about 62,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged, leaving 54,772 women, children and men homeless and displaced. Nigeria and Chad recorded the highest number of people displaced due to flooding: 45,797 and 5,286 respectively.
The 2024 seasonal forecast predicted above-average cumulative rainfall over the June to August and the July to September periods in areas already prone to flooding in the Sahel and some countries in West Africa. This will deepen the needs of a population already vulnerable due to chronic poverty, underdevelopment, conflict and political instability, and increase the resources required for the humanitarian response.
This year, the Central Emergency Response Fund allocated almost US$10 million to Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Niger, in response to emergencies related to climate shocks, including floods.
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"Thinking we have time to address the climate crisis in West and Central Africa is a mistake. If we don't proactively reduce the effects of heavy flooding, drought and soil degradation, a myriad other consequences await, with much higher costs for the regions' most vulnerable people," explained Charles Bernimolin. "The solutions to manage this exist, but it requires immediate action and sufficient funding," he added.
