Severe Flooding in West Africa Displaces Nearly 950,000 People

Recent heavy rainfall and flooding in Mali, Nigeria, and Niger have forced nearly 950,000 people to flee their homes, with hundreds of thousands of children facing the risk of disease, hunger, and disrupted education. Save the Children has warned of the dire situation, which has been exacerbated by the region's worst flooding in years.

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The floods have affected 29 of Nigeria's 36 states, with the Niger and Benue rivers overflowing and causing widespread destruction. In Mali, three western regions and the northeastern region of Gao have been hit, while neighboring Niger has seen flooding in all eight regions, with the southern Maradi region being the hardest hit.

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At least 460 people have lost their lives in the three countries, with many more affected. Save the Children is responding to the crisis by providing food security programs, cash transfers, water, hygiene, and sanitation services, as well as child protection activities in the Segou region of Mali, which has been the most affected.

Credit: Earth ORG

In Nigeria, the organization is distributing essential items such as mattresses, blankets, and hygiene products to vulnerable households, including children and the elderly, in Adamawa state.

Save the Children is also calling on national governments to take urgent action to address the climate crisis by phasing out fossil fuels and ensuring a just transition to limit warming temperatures to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.