The rupture of the Alau dam in northern Nigeria on Tuesday, September 10, worsened the chronicle of floods that have been plaguing daily life in much of West and Central Africa for several weeks. The dam, located 20 kilometers south of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, was unable to withstand the power of the waters swollen by abnormally heavy rainfall at the end of the rainy season. Part of the city, which has about a million inhabitants, is submerged and several thousand homes have been destroyed.
Some thirty people died in the disaster and 400,000 were forced to flee their homes, according to a still provisional count by the authorities, which adds to an already heavy toll in the country. As of September 6, the United Nations recorded 200 deaths since mid-July at the national level and more than 225,000 people displaced by the floods. Borno State is at the top of the worst-hit regions.
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“Schools, health centres were destroyed. Economic activity came to a sudden halt. Maiduguri had never experienced an episode of this magnitude and many were taken by surprise.”describes Hussaini Abdu, director of the NGO Care in Nigeria. The disaster comes at a time when humanitarian needs are already far from being met in a region marked by more than a decade of violence linked to the jihadist insurgency of Boko Haram.
Rains continue to feed flooded areas
“Fifty thousand people are still living in displacement camps in Maiduguri. And initial reports indicate that a similar number could be displaced by the floods. Insecurity continues to make them inaccessible for relief supplies.”Mr. Abdu continues.
In neighbouring Chad, the situation is just as serious. The floods are affecting 1.5 million people and are compounded by an equally critical humanitarian situation. Since July, 340 people have died, 60,000 head of livestock have drowned, 160,000 homes have been destroyed, 25,000 hectares of crops have been submerged, compromising future harvests…
“According to initial estimates, it would take nearly $100 million. [quelque 91 millions d’euros] to help the population, many of whom have lost everything. So far, barely 10% of the sum has been raised.”notes Gustave Gagny, head of the Action Against Hunger (ACF) office in Chad. The country’s humanitarian needs, in particular to cope with the reception of 600,000 refugees from Darfur in the east or the consequences of the persistent security crisis around Lake Chad, amount to more than $1 billion in 2024. Only a third has been raised to date.
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