Chad, DRC, Nigeria, Niger (floods)

Approximately 1.4 million people within 15 Western and Central African countries were affected by flooding in 2021 while 2.7 million people were affected in 2020 within the same region (OCHA, 2021). The 2021 floods displaced about 400,000 people in 12 countries with about 300 fatalities. As expected, these floods highlight pre-existing vulnerabilities within the affected countries.

The countries most impacted in 2021 includes Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Niger. Apart from human fatalities, flooding also has food security implications. Floods inundate crop fields, pastures and livestock reducing crop and animal yields. Floods affect food availability, access, utility and stability, amplifying food insecurity concerns. In Niger, during the 2021 rainy season, flash floods caused by torrential rains led to 7,000 hectares of cultivable land being destroyed, and 10,000 livestock dying, similarly, flash floods have destroyed more than 6,000 hectares of crops in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2021 (OCHA, 2021).

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