West and Central Africa: Flooding Situation Overview (January - December 2023) - as of 6 March 2024

FLOODING SITUATION OVERVIEW

In West and Central Africa, the effects of climate change encompass both slow-onset phenomena, such as rising temperatures and droughts, as well as sudden onset events, such as floods, with extensive impacts on people's well-being. In 2023, heavy rains, floods, and the overflow of dams and rivers had a significant toll on human lives, extensively damaging land, properties, and livestock. As a result, more than 4.5 million people across the region have seen their resilience and living conditions impacted. This year, the most severely affected countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, Niger, and Central African Republic. Floods inflicted serious damage on social services, with 126 health facilities and 325 schools affected by the abnormal water levels. More than 21,500 hectares of farmland were affected with potential catastrophic effect on production and food security.

Floods pose a significant logistical challenge for the effective delivery of aid, resulting in delays in providing life-saving assistance and exposing humanitarian workers to considerable risks. In Benin, South-North routes were completely submerged and bridges collapsed, slowing the transit of commercial and humanitarian trucks during the rainy season. Similarly, in the Republic of Congo, providing assistance to the 525,000 people in need was challenged by substantial logistical hurdles, requiring aid delivery primarily by boat and pirogues.

The year 2023 was characterized by significant flooding in urban areas, with cities such as Abidjan, Greater Accra, Banjul, Niamey, Kinshasa, and Brazzaville among those impacted. Preventive and mitigation measures should be implemented wherever feasible to mitigate the impact of climate events, particularly in densely populated areas. In many countries of the region, responding to the needs of flood-affected populations further strain already limited humanitarian resources.