West and Central Africa: Latest events at a glance (12-18 November 2024)

Burkina Faso
First supply convoy in six months reaches Bourzanga

On 10 November, a convoy of approximately 45 trucks and 30 tricycles delivered food and essential supplies to Bourzanga commune in the northern Centre-Nord region. This is the first supply convoy to reach the area since May 2024. The delivery is expected to reactivate the local market, which has operated at minimal capacity for nearly six months. The new provisions may also reduce market prices, benefiting the town’s 70,000 residents, including internally displaced people. Access to Bourzanga has been highly challenging due to insecurity since April 2022. The irregularity of these convoys leads to persistent shortages of basic foodstuffs and necessities, eroding local livelihood systems and weakening households’ coping capacity.

Cameroon
Populations in the Far North region continue to be affected by flooding

Flooding caused by the rising level of the Logone River continues to affect people in the Far North region. As of 7 November, the Displacement Tracking Matrix had reported more than 4,800 people displaced by flooding, including from Kousseri (2,760 people) and Roum (1,005 people) in Chad. Displaced people are hosted by families or in spontaneous settlements considered relatively safe from flooding. Access to drinking water, shelter and food have been identified as priority needs. As of 18 October, more than 448,000 people have been affected by flooding in the Far North region, including 254,000 in the Logone et Chari division alone.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flooding in Ituri province affects 55,000 people

On 12 November, the Provincial Civil Protection Service reported flooding in over 80 localities in eastern Ituri province, in the east of the country, due to rising water levels on Lake Albert since early November. Many homes, schools, and health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. An estimated 55,000 people have been affected in the Djugu, Irumu, and Mahagi territories. The floods have resulted in the loss of food supplies, damaged farmland, and destroyed waterworks and roads. Thousands are now homeless. Since August, many areas surrounding the Lake Albert region have been affected by flooding, impacting over 26,000 people in Mahagi territory and over 11,000 people in Djugu territory. These climate-related challenges worsen the vulnerability of displaced populations, exposing them to diseases and other risks. The Civil Protection Service advocates with the provincial and national authoritiesfor early warning mechanisms, preparedness measures, and emergency response plans to cyclic floods affecting the population living on the banks of Lake Albert.

Mali
Number of displaced people in Mali rises to 378,000

On 12 November, the Displacement Tracking Matrix reported that 378,363 people are internally displaced in Mali – a 15 per cent increase compared to June 2024. More than 85 per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are women and children who are mainly hosted in Menaka (74,216 IDPs), Mopti (65,240 IDPs), Gao (54,021 IDPs), Segou (51,183 IDPs) and Bandiagara regions (51,183 IDPs). Continued conflict-related violence is one of the main drivers of internal displacement. In addition, over five per cent of the IDPs were displaced by the unprecedented floods from June to September 2024.