Floods in Chad claim over 500 lives as crisis worsens

Chad is grappling with devastating floods that have resulted in at least 503 fatalities, with the northern Tibesti region experiencing the highest number of casualties at 83.

The floods have affected all 23 regions of the country, Chad's Bureau for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs declared, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Over 318,000 families have been impacted, with approximately 212,000 homes destroyed and crops ravaged across 357,000 hectares.

In response, authorities have initiated relief efforts, establishing temporary shelters in the capital, N'Djamena, and other cities, while distributing food to those in need.

The floods have affected around 4 million people across West and Central Africa, with Nigeria, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Cameroon, Ghana, and Liberia also facing significant destruction and loss of life.

Experts attribute the severity of the floods to global climate change, noting that temperatures in the Sahel region are rising 1.5 times faster than in other areas. Modou Dio, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s West Africa office, emphasized the dire situation, stating, "People are suffering from hunger, and the floods are only making things worse."