Flooding in the south and central part of the country, caused by heavy rains, affected “636 locations in 18 of the country’s 23 provinces” and “over a million people”, President Mahamat Idris Debi Itno said during his television profession.
Chad’s president, Mahamat Idriss Debi Itno, declared a “state of emergency” on Wednesday in order to “limit and better manage” the floods in the African nation, which are now affecting “more than a million” residents.
Flooding in the south and central part of the country, caused by heavy rains, affected “636 locations in 18 of the country’s 23 provinces” and “over a million people”, Mr Deby said during a televised address. , adding that the waters “swallowed over 4,650,000 acres of fields” and killed “19,000 animals” of ranchers.
“A state of emergency will be implemented to limit and better manage the natural disaster,” he explained, warning that there is a “risk of widespread flooding” if “the rise in water levels (including rivers and tributaries) is continuous during week”.
“The most exposed areas are (the capital) Djamena and its surroundings,” he pointed out, calling the situation “increasingly alarming.”
“We need to provide shelters, basic necessities and health protection,” Mr Deby said, without elaborating.
“We must thank the Almighty for saving us until today from the loss of human lives,” added the head of state.
According to still preliminary estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the floods affected “1,001,791 people” as of October 13 in the country.
The president of Chad also called on “friendly countries” and its “technical and economic partners” to “support the efforts of the government”.
Flooding is not uncommon in Chad’s rainy season, which usually runs from May to October in the south. But this year the rains came earlier and were the heaviest in decades.
In 2021, the United Nations estimated that 5.5 million Chadians, in other words more than a third of the landlocked central African country’s population, needed “urgent humanitarian assistance.”
RES-EMP
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