Flooding in Niger displaces tens of thousands and leaves at least 47 dead

Officials in Niger said Wednesday that at least 47 people have been killed and over 56,000 others displaced by flooding triggered by recent heavy rains.

The General Directorate of Civil Protection said the floods have affected 7,754 households in 339 neighbourhoods and villages.

“Some 30 people died after their houses collapsed while 17 drowned. In addition, the floods injured 70 people,” it said in a statement.

In addition to homes and infrastructure destroyed, officials said close to 300 heads of cattle have died.

The national committee in charge of flood prevention said it has begun distributing food aid to nearly 4,000 families.

Meanwhile, the government has set aside $21.3 million to help those affected by the flooding.

With the impact of climate change increasing globally, flooding has become one of the most frequent and destructive natural disasters.

Africa faces a disproportionate burden from climate change, experiencing deadly heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts.

In 2024, heavy rains impacted nearly 1.5 million Nigeriens in the country's eight regions.