Chad: Floods leave 503 dead and over 1.7 million affected
Torrential rains pummeling Chad since July have led to 503 deaths and affected over 1.7 million people, according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The latest figures indicate that “117 out of 125 departments are affected,” with 212,111 homes and 357,832 hectares of farmland destroyed, along with 69,659 livestock lost.
The minister also announced the establishment of a flood monitoring committee to “assess the risks related to the pollution of potable water sources and the rising river levels.”
“It has been observed that the waters of the Logone and Chari rivers have reached critical levels that could lead to more flooding in the coming days,” according to the minister.
Accordingly, Mr. Passalé recommended “the use of chlorine for treating water from private wells before consumption in households to prevent contamination.”
The UN had already raised alarms in early September about the impact of “torrential rains and severe flooding” in the region, particularly in Chad, calling for “immediate action and sufficient funding” to address the “climate crisis.”
