West and Central Africa: Flooding Situation Overview - as of 31 October 2024

FLOODING SITUATION OVERVIEW

Although rainfall is decreasing in the West and Central Africa region, it continues to cause damage and to affect new populations. In total, 7.1 million people have been affected since the start of 2024.

As of 31 October 2024, Chad remains the worst-hit country (1.9 million people affected by flooding), followed by Niger (1.4 million), Nigeria (1.3 million) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1.1 million). The floods have also displaced 1 million people in 11 different countries, the majority of whom are in Nigeria (729,000). The number of people reported as dead or injured has also increased, bringing the year-to-date totals to 1,526 and 4,499 respectively.

Flooding has also affected buildings – 639,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged so far this year, while flooding has also affected 645 schools and 169 health facilities.

Agricultural land has also been affected, with the total area unsuitable for crop and livestock production now about 951,000 hectares. An estimated total of around 128,000 heads of cattle have been swept away by the floods so far this year.

Overall, the number of people affected and the impact on agricultural production, and therefore on the food and nutritional security of vulnerable communities, is far greater than in previous years. The humanitarian situation is set to worsen unless effective action is taken. Humanitarian partners and governments have already issued several alerts to address the needs of affected people.