Urgent Response Required: Severe Flooding Impacts Millions in Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon

Severe flooding has affected over 2.7 million people across Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon, with dire consequences including significant loss of life, destruction of homes and farmland, and heightened risk of food insecurity. Action Against Hunger is mobilizing to support emergency response efforts, highlighting the need for urgent funding and long-term solutions to address these humanitarian crises.

Severe flooding has severely impacted millions across Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon, driven by torrential downpours since late July. In Chad alone, approximately 1.7 million individuals have been affected, with significant displacements and destruction of property and farmland. The floods have led to the deaths of over 500 people and have devastated more than 210,000 houses and 880,000 acres of agricultural land. This catastrophic event has raised alarms about a looming hunger crisis in a nation already struggling with food insecurity, where 3.4 million individuals are reliant on food aid. In Nigeria, tens of thousands of people have been left in dire conditions, particularly in Borno and surrounding states, where prior to the floods, over 32 million individuals were already classified as food insecure. The capital city of Borno, Maiduguri, has experienced significant flooding, where nearly 50% of the area has been submerged, affecting approximately 414,000 individuals. The climate crisis further exacerbates these challenges, leading to widespread disruption of water access and sanitation, with many families forced to rely on unsafe water sources. Meanwhile, in Cameroon’s Far-North region, flooding has harmed around 236,000 individuals and destroyed over 30,000 acres of crops, prompting fears of waterborne diseases. The collapsing of crucial infrastructure, including bridges and dykes, has only intensified the situation, necessitating urgent humanitarian aid and support for recovery efforts amid a backdrop of increasing frequency of climatic shocks that threaten livelihoods across the region. Action Against Hunger continues its vital work in these nations, emphasizing the urgent need for substantial funding to support emergency responses and long-term resilience against climate-related crises.

The current flooding crisis in Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon has arisen from heavy rains affecting central and eastern Africa. This has led to alarming levels of devastation, with crucial infrastructure destroyed and millions affected. These regions have faced chronic food insecurity, and this crisis has worsened existing vulnerabilities. With climate change causing these severe weather patterns, regional responses require both immediate relief efforts and long-term strategies to combat the systemic issues of food insecurity and infrastructure resilience.

In conclusion, the severe flooding in Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon highlights the urgent humanitarian crisis impacting millions. The destruction caused by torrential rains has resulted in significant loss of life, housing, and agricultural resources, placing greater numbers at risk of hunger and displacement. Action Against Hunger calls for immediate funding to aid the affected populations and emphasizes the need for a concerted response to build resilience against the worsening effects of climate change.

Original Source: www.actionagainsthunger.org