Severe flooding in Chad since July has claimed 503 lives and affected approximately 1.7 million people, the United Nations reported on Saturday in its latest disaster assessment.
The floods have devastated large portions of the country, destroying 212,111 homes, flooding 357,832 hectares (885,000 acres) of farmland, and drowning 69,659 livestock, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Chad.
Chad’s water and energy minister, Marcelin Kanabe Passale, warned of more destruction as the water levels of the Logone and Chari rivers had reached a critical height, raising the likelihood of further catastrophic flooding in the coming days. Both rivers flow into N’Djamena, Chad’s capital.
“The waters of the Logone and Chari rivers have reached a critical height likely to cause obvious serious flooding in the coming days,” Passale said during a press briefing.
He urged residents to treat all water from private wells with chlorine before consumption to prevent waterborne diseases. A flood-monitoring committee has been set up to assess the risks of drinking water contamination and monitor rising river levels.
Earlier in September, the UN had warned of the severe toll of torrential rains and flooding in Chad and the broader region, calling for urgent action to combat climate change.
This year has witnessed the hottest summer on record globally, marked by extreme temperatures, heatwaves, droughts, and widespread flooding.