Severe flooding in Chad since July has resulted in 341 fatalities and impacted approximately 1.5 million people, according to the United Nations.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that all 23 provinces of Chad have been affected. Government data indicated the destruction of around 164,000 homes, the loss of nearly 70,000 cattle, and the ruin of 259,000 hectares (640,000 acres) of farmland.
The government has yet to release a detailed assessment of the damage from the flooding, which has affected the nation of 16 million.
Last week, a school collapse due to heavy rains in the Ouaddai province led to the deaths of 14 students and their teacher. By mid-August, flooding in Tibesti province had already claimed at least 54 lives.
Although the mountainous region typically sees less than 200 mm of rainfall annually, significant rainfall occurs every five to ten years, as noted by Idriss Abdallah Hassan, director of meteorological observation at Chad’s National Meteorological Agency.
The UN has warned about the severe implications of “torrential rains and flooding” in Chad, calling for immediate action and funding to address the climate crisis. Additionally, over 700,000 people in South Sudan have been affected by severe flooding, according to an OCHA report from September 5.
This summer has seen the hottest global temperatures on record, accompanied by heatwaves, drought, and extensive flooding.