Devastating West and Central Africa floods affect over 4 million people, raise health risks

Widespread flooding in West and Central Africa has affected more than 4 million people, caused extensive damage to homes, schools, health facilities and swaths of farmland, heightening the risk of water-borne diseases, food insecurity and malnutrition.

The floods – the most devastating in recent years with unprecedented scale and severity – have mainly affected Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, and displaced more than 500 000 people, destroyed over 300 000 houses and claimed over a thousand lives. The deluge has also compounded existing humanitarian challenges across the region, where vulnerable communities are already grappling with poverty, food insecurity and conflict.

To support national authorities, World Health Organization (WHO) has provided emergency medical supplies and medicines to assist more than 580 000 people in the six affected countries. The Organization has delivered medicines for treatment and prevention of cholera and malaria, as well as kits to treat malnutrition. WHO has also provided supplies for hygiene and sanitation services and is working closely with partners and governments to coordinate the health emergency response to the flooding disaster. In addition, rapid response teams have been deployed in the countries.

“The extent and severity of the floods are unprecedented with dire devastation among some of the most vulnerable communities in the region,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “The impact of these floods emphasizes the need to address the accelerating effects of climate change. As we provide emergency assistance, it’s crucial to invest in sustainability to protect the most vulnerable populations from these escalating threats.”

The current floods in Nigeria, the worst the country has witnessed in 30 years, have affected more than a million people in 15 of the country’s 36 states, with the states in the north and north-eastern regions being the worst hit. Entire communities, health facilities, schools and farmlands have been inundated.

More than a million people have been affected in Niger, notably in Maradi, Zinder, Dosso and Tillabery regions. The country is also experiencing a cholera outbreak in Agadez, Moradi, Tahoua and Zinder.

In Mali, over 179 000 people have been affected. The major challenges include poor access to clean drinking water, shelter, hygiene kits, and essential medicines. The destruction of homes and health facilities have left vast areas with limited access to health care.

In Cameroon, Chad and Guinea, widespread flood devastation has also left hundreds of thousands of people in dire need of emergency assistance, with farmlands, homes and key infrastructure destroyed or damaged. In Chad, all 23 regions have been affected, while in Cameroon health services have been disrupted in the affected regions.

Most of the affected countries, especially the Sahel countries of Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, are already grappling with high rates of acute malnutrition, and disrupted health services leaving women and children particularly at risk of worsening impact of malnutrition.

The floods devastation has deprived families of livelihoods in addition to displacement, fatalities due to drowning, missing family members, loss of property and exposure to violence. These challenges are contributing to psychological distress and mental health disorders.

In addition, the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles among children could heighten due to overcrowding in displacement sites among populations with reduced nutritional status and low vaccination coverage. Mali, Niger and Nigeria are already experiencing measles outbreaks.

According to forecasters, the rains are expected to continue in the coming weeks, further worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The intensity of the rains in a short space of time, already degraded soil, poor urban planning and now overflowing rivers have worsened the flooding crisis.

WHO is collaborating with partners and the respective governments to further address the escalating needs and mitigate the imminent public health risks, while ensuring readiness for potential exacerbation of the crisis.

The floods, which underscore the rising impact of climate change, call for significant investments by governments and development partners in disaster preparedness, building resilient health systems and supporting vulnerable communities recover from climate-related crises.