More than 100 dead in flooding in Africa

NIAMEY: Almost 760 000 people have been affected by severe flooding in recent weeks in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Niger,

Mali, Nigeria, Congo Republic and Senegal are among the worst-hit this year, with at least 111 people killed, according to figures from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Waters have yet to recede in parts of Niamey since torrential rains last month caused rivers to burst their banks, destroying nearly 32 000 houses and 5 768 hectares of farmland across Niger.

Flooding across landlocked Niger alone has impacted nearly 333 000 people. More than 188 000 people have been affected in neighbouring Chad, with OCHA warning of potential food shortages due to inundated land.

With more rain expected, particularly in Central Africa, the situation is expected to worsen, said OCHA’s director for West and Central Africa, Julie Belanger.

| Reuters RESIDENTS walk through a flooded street after last week’s heavy rains in Keur Massar, Senegal.