West and Central Africa: Latest events at a glance (30 July to 5 August 2024)

Chad

Torrential rains cause widespread flooding across Chad Heavy rains since mid-June have affected western, southern and central Chad, including the capital N'Djamena. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and access to essential services has been severely disrupted. As of 1 August, 29 flood alerts have been issued throughout the country. Preliminary estimates indicate that over 6,300 people have been affected.
Humanitarian partners are working to assess the situation and provide urgent aid to affected communities. A Government-led mission is underway to develop contingency planning measures.

Niger

Niger is experiencing its worst flooding since 2020 As of 29 July, heavy rains affected more than 63,000 people across the country, resulting in 71 deaths according to the authorities. Damages include 5,421 houses and 32 classrooms destroyed and 11,584 dead livestock. In 2023 more than 26,200 people were affected during the same period, with 19 deaths.

The 2024 floods are the worst compared to the last four years.

Humanitarian response efforts remain insufficient to address the growing needs. Shelter, non-food items, and food, particularly sugar, salt, and oil, are in critical shortage. While the government has provided cereals, significant gaps persist. To mitigate the impact of future flood, the government is collaborating with partners to establish early warning systems, identify high-risk areas, and enhance community disaster preparedness.

Nigeria

Suicide attack claims 19 lives in Konduga, Borno State On 31 July, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency reported that 19 people were killed and over 20 others injured when a suspected operative of a non-state armed group detonated a person-borne improvised explosive device. The incident took place at a local tea joint in Kawuri Village in Konduga local government area (LGA) in northeastern Borno State. This is the latest in a series of suicide attacks in Borno State in about a month. On 29 June, Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall issued a statement condemning the killing of dozens of people, including a humanitarian worker, in multiple suicide attacks in Gwoza LGA.

Regional Deadly mpox strain in West and Central Africa

Côte d’Ivoire reported its first mpox cases on 30 July 2024, with two non-fatal cases amid a deadly outbreak in West and Central Africa that has killed 450 people in the region since September 2023. The Central African Republic has confirmed an outbreak of mpox in several towns and villages across the country, with new cases reported in late July in the capital, Bangui, according to local health officials. The Government is collaborating with neighbouring countries to combat the outbreak, stressing the need for regional cooperation due to porous borders and population movements. Since early 2022 and as of 28 July 2024, 37,583 cases of mpox and 1,451 deaths have been reported in 15 African Union Member States.

In 2023 alone, 14,957 cases and 739 deaths were reported in seven countries, marking a 78.5 per cent increase in new cases compared to 2022.