26 September 2024
While Europe is coping with unprecedented flooding, Niger and its neighbouring countries are also experiencing torrential rain, which has caused considerable loss of life and property. The Luxembourg Red Cross, which is very active on this continent, is working to support the victims of these extreme weather events.
Climate change is leading to increasingly visible phenomena of this kind: droughts, excessive rain, cyclones, heatwaves, etc. are hitting populations harder and harder.
In countries that are already fragile, the consequences are even more violent and deadly than in Europe. International solidarity, as illustrated by the efforts of the Luxembourg Red Cross in Niger, is essential to mitigate the impact of these disasters and help communities rebuild.
Flooding in Niger: a critical situation
Since the beginning of September and the rainy season, Niger has been facing devastating floods. More than 700,000 people have been affected, with almost 300 deaths reported. More than 105,000 houses have collapsed as a result of the floods, leaving thousands of families homeless and at risk to their lives and health. The worst affected regions include Niamey, the capital, as well as rural areas where infrastructure is particularly vulnerable.
As an emergency measure, the Luxembourg Red Cross, in cooperation with the Niger Red Cross, will distribute 2,000 emergency shelters and as many latrines in the regions of Niamey, Diffa and Tillabéri. It is active thanks in particular to the support of the Ministry for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action and its private donors.
Neighbouring countries are also heavily affected. It is estimated that, combining the data available for Niger, Nigeria and Mali, nearly a million people have been displaced, and that in total, nearly 4 million people in West and Central Africa have been affected.
