Exceptional rains in Niger have left 339 dead and more than a million affected since June, the Niger Press Agency (ANP), a state media outlet, announced on Tuesday.
A previous report from the Nigerien Ministry of the Interior reported on September 4 273 deaths, more than 700,000 victims and 278 injured in these bad weather which affected the entire country including Niamey, the capital.
As of September 23, the floods caused “339 losses of human life”, left 383 injured and 1,176,528 victims, specifies the ANP. The agency cites Civil Protection, which depends on the Interior Ministry.
According to the ANP, four regions are severely affected: Maradi (central-south, 111 dead), Tahoua (west, 99 dead), Zinder (central-east, 65 dead) and Dosso (southwest, 22 dead). Niamey recorded 9 deaths. The agency also reports “significant losses” of equipment, livestock and food.
The intense rainy season did not spare the very desert north of the country, where it left 8 dead and endangered the historic city of Agadez, including its famous mosque erected in 1515 and listed as a world heritage site. UNESCO.
In Zinder, rains led to the collapse of a mosque built more than 200 years ago. Some areas of the country recorded “up to 200%” excess rain compared to previous years, according to the national meteorological services.
The season is already over in drier areas and is drawing to a close in the humid south, they note. Due to the damage caused to schools and their occupation by thousands of displaced people, the government postponed the start of the school year to October 28, initially scheduled for October 2.
In mid-September, he assured that he had assisted more than 700,000 disaster victims with more than 8,000 tons of cereals, mosquito nets, blankets, or tents. For several years, floods have been recurring throughout Niger during the rainy season, which lasts from June to September.
This year’s were particularly devastating. A paradox in this very dry state where poor harvests are usually due to drought. Despite the significant damage, “this season bodes well for good agricultural harvests,” notes the Ministry of Agriculture.
