N’DJAMENA, Chad (AFP) — Weeks of relentless flooding have devastated Chad, resulting in 341 fatalities and affecting approximately 1.5 million people since July, according to a report released by the United Nations (UN) on Monday.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights that the flooding has impacted all 23 provinces across the nation. Government data reveals the extent of the destruction: an estimated 164,000 homes have been demolished, nearly 70,000 heads of cattle lost, and around 259,000 hectares (approximately 640,000 acres) of agricultural land ruined.
Despite the widespread damage, the Chadian government has yet to release a detailed breakdown of the havoc wreaked by the unprecedented deluge in the country, which has a population of around 16 million.
Tragedy struck last week in the province of Ouaddai in the semi-arid east, where 14 students and their teacher perished when their school collapsed after being battered by torrential rains. The northern desert province of Tibesti also saw significant fatalities, with at least 54 reported dead from flooding by mid-August.
“Typically, rainfall hardly reaches 200 mm per year in this mountainous region,” explained Idriss Abdallah Hassan, director of meteorological observation and forecasting at Chad’s National Meteorological Agency. “However, we do see severe rainfall events every five to ten years.”
The UN recently issued a warning about the effects of “torrential rains and severe flooding” in Chad and the broader region, urging for immediate intervention and funding to address the climate crisis. These weather patterns are not confined to Chad alone. Over 700,000 individuals in South Sudan are also grappling with the impact of severe flooding, as reported by OCHA on September 5.
This alarming situation is set against a backdrop of broader climate anomalies. This summer has marked the hottest ever recorded globally, characterized by record-high temperatures, intense heatwaves, droughts, and severe flooding. The urgency for coordinated global action to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis has never been more apparent.
In the meantime, humanitarian efforts are underway to support those affected in Chad. Aid partners have been mobilizing to distribute essential supplies and provide critical assistance to flood-displaced communities, such as those at the Milezi site in N’Djamena (Photo: OCHA/Sidibe Demba Ousseni). However, the scale of the disaster underscores the urgent need for sustained international support and effective climate resilience strategies.
As the crisis unfolds, the resilience and recovery of Chad’s communities depend heavily on rapid and comprehensive humanitarian response and long-term climate adaptation measures. The unfolding tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the broader impacts of climate change and the urgent need for global action.
