Severe Flooding Across West and Central Africa Displaces Millions and Damages Critical Infrastructure

Chad is among the hardest-hit countries, with nearly 1.5 million affected, 145 deaths, and 70,000 homes destroyed since late July.

Severe flooding in West and Central Africa has severely impacted an estimated 4 million people this year, with at least 500,000 displaced and over 300,000 homes destroyed. The flooding, which extends from Liberia to Nigeria and across Mali, Niger, and Chad, has been exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall and dam failures, particularly in Northeast Nigeria where 40% of Maiduguri has been inundated.

UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, warned of worsening conditions, stating, “Severe weather events are increasingly affecting this region, making it more difficult for children to realize their basic rights to survival, safety, and education.”

The floods have already damaged at least 61 schools and 13 health centers. Last year’s severe flooding affected 4.5 million people by year-end, with similar forecasts for this year.

Chad is among the hardest-hit countries, with nearly 1.5 million affected, 145 deaths, and 70,000 homes destroyed since late July. The flooding has also compromised critical infrastructure, including bridges and roads, complicating aid delivery to Sudan’s Darfur region.

UNICEF has mobilized responses across the affected areas. In Chad, immediate actions included constructing latrines for 2,200 people, rehabilitating water points, distributing essential supplies, and providing therapeutic food for children under five. In Nigeria, UNICEF is deploying health and sanitation supplies and registering households for emergency cash distributions. Mali has seen UNICEF deliver emergency supplies and set up child-friendly spaces, with the government declaring a State of National Disaster.

In Niger, UNICEF is distributing malaria kits, water treatment supplies, and building emergency latrines for 650,000 affected individuals.

UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires US$6 million in flexible emergency funding to support the most vulnerable children and families impacted by the floods. The organization is also responding to increased risks of waterborne diseases and ongoing cholera outbreaks exacerbated by the flooding.

With 16 of 24 countries in the region among the 30 with the highest climate change risk for children, the situation remains critical. UNICEF’s response aims to alleviate immediate suffering and build resilience against future climate-related disasters.