In Niger, over 841,000 people have been impacted by the floods, with more than 400,000 displaced and hundreds tragically losing their lives.
Mali is facing its worst floods since the 1960s, with 343,900 people affected and 55 deaths reported.
In Nigeria, heavy rainfall has caused widespread devastation, with the overflowing of the Alau Dam in Maiduguri leading to the worst floods in 30 years. Over 239,000 people have been affected, with many lives lost and injuries reported.
Dakar, Senegal, September 12, 2024 — Devastating floods have plunged the West Africa region into a state of emergency, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced and hundreds killed. Populations in Mali, Niger and Nigeria - who have already been facing unprecedented levels of humanitarian needs – are now dealing with the worst floods in 30 years, which will only exacerbate food insecurity in the region with the destruction of farmland and significant crop losses.
As forecasts predict that heavy rains will continue in the coming months, with ongoing flooding in several parts of the region, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is working with partners and government agencies to ensure people reach safety and are able to access emergency support including cash, shelter and improved sanitation and access to clean water, especially for the most vulnerable.
Efforts are also underway to support economic recovery and development in the wake of these disasters.
In the Central Sahel region of West Africa, where temperatures are rising 50% faster than the global average, climate change is amplifying inequalities—hitting low-income communities the hardest and deepening poverty by destroying their livelihoods.
Modou Diaw, Regional Vice President West Africa for the IRC, says:
“"The situation is devastating—people in the region are already grappling with rising hunger and alarmingly high malnutrition. Climatic shocks like these floods only worsen food insecurity, malnutrition, and overall instability.
“We are deeply grateful to partners like ECHO, BHA and SIDA for their flexibility in quickly releasing funds to address this disaster. Their funding modalities have allowed us to rapidly prepare and launch responses to support the most vulnerable affected by the floods in Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
“In places like Mali, it's women - either widows or women with children - who are most affected in Bamako - they earn their income from small businesses that have been destroyed and often live in mud huts that wouldn't have withstood the floods.
“However, we need a shift in how we approach climate financing. With extreme climate events becoming more frequent, the international community must invest in anticipatory action and scale up community-based disaster-risk reduction efforts, such as early-warning systems. Development partners should prioritise climate mitigation and build resilient infrastructure to prevent floods, while continuing to strengthen health systems to manage the ongoing impacts.”