Niger’s government has announced that due to heavy rains and flooding, the start of the new school year has been delayed by almost a month.
Like parts of Central and West Africa, Niger has been hit by heavy rains since June, resulting in numerous casualties and impacting hundreds of thousands of individuals.
The government has rescheduled the first day of school for the country’s approximately 4.5 million students, originally set for October 2, to October 28. A government briefing broadcast on state television late Thursday reported, “Several schools have been affected, and others are being occupied by those impacted.”
In the central-southern region of Maradi, which has been severely affected, around 100 tents have been set up in schools to provide shelter for people.
As of September 4, the latest figures from the interior ministry show that 273 people have lost their lives, with 121 drowning and 152 perishing due to collapsing homes. Authorities say that heavy rains have affected over 700,000 people earlier this month.
This month, the government has made over 9,700 tonnes of grain available to residents in eight flood-affected regions and assured that “the situation is under control.”
In Niger’s second-largest city, Zinder, a well-known mosque from the mid-19th century, constructed from earth and straw, collapsed during the heavy rains earlier this month.
The northern city of Agadez, also known as the gateway to the desert, is concerned about the damage caused to its historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Typically occurring from June to September, Niger’s rainy season often results in a high number of casualties, with 195 people losing their lives in 2022.
Scientists have consistently cautioned that climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, is leading to more frequent, intense, and prolonged extreme weather events such as floods.