Niger Flooding Causes Over 36,000 Houses to Collapse

‘’Today, compassion and solidarity should be prevailing words from us, for every one of us is affected by this flood, whether by far or near,” says CARE Niger Country Director Ely Keita.

Heavy rains have been recorded in West and Central Africa in the past weeks, including in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and Senegal, leading to devastating floods that have killed dozens and displaced thousands of people.

“This is the first time I have witnessed such a phenomenon. … What we are seeing today is really a catastrophe.”

The Niger government’s initial response to the crisis included authorizing temporary resettlement of displaced people in classrooms and distributing food and non-food items. But there is still an unmet and rising need for food and materials such as sleeping mats and bedding, mosquito nets, cooking equipment, water storage and tarps. Many people have nowhere to go. And as schools prepare to reopen, many people will be forced to find other places to shelter.

“We could no longer stay in our houses, the walls fell down, and the water was rising from under us. You can see our stuff parked in the classrooms. There is nowhere else to go, and now we’re being asked to leave the premises,” says Zalika Saadou, a 55-year-old spice seller who lost her home and shop in Niamey’s Karadjé neighborhood to flooding.

Saadou, a widow and mother of 11, says the family and friends she’d normally stay with have also been displaced by flooding and has nowhere else to go. “So where can we go now? Should we take our things and go back to our flooded homes?”

People already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are now facing major challenges in terms of food, shelter, and other needs. The flooding has led to significant losses of goods and cereal crops, especially rice grown in the Niger River valley. This, combined with the impact of COVID-19 and ongoing food insecurity in parts of the country, could lead to more people going hungry.

“It’s malaria season, there some people who are already sick and can’t get treatment. We are really, really in need and are appealing for help,” says Mamadou Maiga Harouna, a 50-year-old waiter and father of 13 from Lamordé neighborhood. “The dike gave way and the water caught us by surprise, so we didn’t even have time to gather our belongings.”

Serious damage to the roads has cut off some areas and caused diversions on major thoroughfares.

“This is the first time I have witnessed such a phenomenon. There were floods in 2012 that caused damage, but what we are seeing today is really a catastrophe,” said Mamadou. “We really need the NGOs to support us, we really need help. People need somewhere to settle down, and something to eat in the meantime.”