By Severe flooding in Chad has resulted in 503 deaths and affected approximately 1.7 million people since July, according to the latest assessment from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released Saturday.
The floods have caused widespread destruction across the central African nation. OCHA reports that the disaster has destroyed over 212,000 houses, submerged more than 357,000 hectares of agricultural land, and drowned nearly 70,000 heads of cattle.
Marcelin Kanabe Passale, Chad’s Minister of Water and Energy, informed journalists on Saturday that the flooding has impacted all of the country’s provinces. He issued a stark warning about the potential for further devastation, stating, “The waters of the Logone and Chari rivers have reached a critical height likely to cause obvious serious flooding in the coming days.”
The capital city, N’Djamena, located at the confluence of the Logone and Chari rivers, faces an imminent threat of severe flooding.
Amid growing concerns about water safety, Passale urged residents to treat all water from private wells with chlorine before consumption. He also announced the formation of a flood-monitoring committee to assess risks associated with drinking water pollution and rising river levels.
The United Nations had previously warned in early September about the impact of “torrential rains and severe flooding” in the wider region, particularly in Chad. The international body called for immediate action and increased funding to address the effects of climate change.
This summer has been recorded as the hottest globally, characterized by extreme weather events including record temperatures, heatwaves, drought, and severe flooding in various parts of the world.
Credit: VOA
