West and Central Africa: Flooding Situation – As of 31 October 2021

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Since the beginning of the year, flooding has affected 1.3 million people in West and Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Togo, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Benin, Senegal, and Ghana. Heavy rainfalls, floods, and windstorms killed 248 people, injured 2,787, displaced 376,000, and destroyed 138,000 houses.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, floods have affected more than 321,000 people since the start of the year. Rains and floods also killed 22 people, injured five others, and destroyed over 46,000 houses and more than 6,000 hectares of crops.

In the Gambia, since the beginning of the rainy season, windstorms and flash floods have killed 12 people and affected 109,000. Food stock losses have been significant, while erratic rainfalls affect farming, requiring increased food security-related preparedness.

Support is also needed for the rehabilitation of major critical infrastructures such as schools and hospitals.

In Niger, torrential rainfall and floods affected more than 250,000 people and left 77 people dead. Since the start of the 2021 rainy season in June, torrential rainfall has led to the collapse of more than 21,000 houses, the destruction of more than 7,300 hectares of cultivable land, and the death of more than 10,000 livestock.

Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and vulnerable due to the loss of their livelihoods.

In Nigeria, flash floods resulting from heavy rains directly affected over 141,000 people across communities in 15 local government areas (LGAs), including the state capital of Yola. Rains and floods killed 73 people and led to the collapse of about 3,000 houses, with populations temporarily displaced and forced to take shelter in nearby locations until floodwaters receded.

In Guinea, rain and floods killed five people, injured 21 others and affected about 70,000 people, leaving more than 2,000 displaced.

Heavy rains which fell over most of the country causing flooding destroyed nearly 900 houses.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs