Despite its short duration of three to four months – between June and August or September -, the rainy season has become murderous in recent years.
Le Monde with AFP
The heavy rains that have been falling in Niger since June have left 75 dead and more than 100,000 victims, and others are expected by the end of September, the authorities of this country said on Tuesday 30 August In the usually very dry climate.
On August 28, a total of 75 people died, including 54 in the collapse of their homes and 21 by drowning, while 108,346 others are disaster and 102 injured, according to figures from the services of the Civil protection communicated to AFP. A previous official assessment of August 14 reported 32 dead, 66,781 victims and 44 injured.
The most affected regions are those of Maradi (Center-Sud, 30 deaths), Zinder (Center-East, 23 deaths), as well as Tillabéri (South West) and Tahoua (West). The capital Niamey is also assigned with 2 deaths and more than 500 victims. The rains have also destroyed or damaged more than 12,700 dwellings and caused the collapse of classes, medical care centers, grain granaries.
The Nigerian government and its partners ensure that they have distributed more than 628 tonnes of cereals to disaster victims. UNICEF says it has provided 2,500 kits of non -food goods. Meteorological services announce new big precipitation in the country until the end of September.
“Evacuate flood zones”
In Niamey, a flood of the Niger river is to be feared in the coming days, due to the level of water which “evolves very quickly towards the alert rating”, warns the authority of the Niger Basin (ABN). In the capital of 2 million inhabitants, the heavy rains are often the source of fatal floods of the river.
The abn calls the inhabitants living near the river “to observe a particular vigilance” and “to evacuate the flooding areas”. Despite its short duration of three to four months – between June and August or September -, the rainy season has become deadly in recent years, including in desert areas in the north of the country. In 2021, she caused the death of at least 70 people and made more than 200,000 victims. There could be at least 350,000 this year, according to the UN.
This poor country with arid climate also regularly suffers from drought, which strikes several regions and causes bad harvests. Added to this are the jihadist violence which prevents farmers from cultivating their fields.
The whole plunges Niger into a serious food crisis: according to health authorities, more than 4.4 million people are “severe” food insecurity, or about 20 % of the population. In early August, the government decided to cause rain using chemicals to cope with drought.