The Chadian government called, on October 9, 2024, for general mobilization in the face of floods caused by torrential rains, aggravated by the rising waters of the Chari River. Since July 2024, these floods, linked to climate change, have caused at least 576 deaths and affected more than 1.9 million people, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Chad. However, local authorities have still not declared a state of emergency.
In Chad, the waters of the Logone and Chari rivers continue to rise, threatening several districts of the capital although at a slower pace than last week.
While the floods caused by torrential rains have already caused the death of nearly 600 people over the past 3 months and affected nearly 2 million Chadians, the inhabitants of Ndjamena are worried about the infrastructure protecting the city.
“Everything is done not to declare a state of emergency”
In it, daily flood level readings are exchanged secretly, while hydrologists systematically decline interview requests. “A subject that has become too sensitive, too political,” RFI was told, which relayed the information. “Everything is being done not to declare a state of emergency,” confirms a person close to the executive, according to whom the authorities would like at all costs to avoid the postponement of the legislative, municipal and provincial elections scheduled for December 29, 2024. Postponement requested by part of the opposition.
After the devastating floods of 2022, the government of Chad rebuilt the dike around Walia, which so far seems to keep its promises by protecting a large part of the neighborhoods submerged two years earlier. But the work is only 80% complete and the work was stopped for several months because only 40% of its price was paid to the company responsible for its construction, according to a government source who spoke entrusted to our colleagues at RFI.
These accusations of misappropriation have, however, not been supported by any evidence so far, RFI said in its delivery on Monday, October 14, 2024. No more than those which point to the responsibility of the opposition in the malicious acts reported on the ‘work.
If the government refuses to officially announce the mobilization of the army, military engineers are nonetheless hard at work deploying motor pumps – machines responsible for pumping large quantities of water – to build new camps victims, and try to stem the erosion of the banks on the outskirts of the city.
Moctar FICUU / VivAfrik
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