Causing floods! Chad has experienced the heaviest rainfall in more than 30 years. How serious is the disaster caused by this flood?

Heavy rain has caused unprecedented flooding in the African country of Chad, affecting the lives of more than 340,000 people. The heaviest seasonal rains in more than 30 years have left parts of the capital N'Djamena only accessible by boat. Over the past month, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes due to flooding. Monsoon flooding is also common in Chad, but this year the rains have been heavier. Idriss Abdallah Hassan, a senior official at Chad's National Meteorological Service, told Reuters that Chad had never recorded rainfall on such a scale since 1990, calling the current situation "catastrophic." . Many residents of N'Djamena's eighth district huddled in wooden boats and made their way through flooded streets.

Hasan Hussein Aqiq, a 38-year-old local resident, said that not a single resident of District 8 was spared this year. It was really sad to see so many people suffering. According to the latest data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 442,000 people have been affected by floods in Chad. Several countries in West and Central Africa are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with above-normal rainfall over the past month leaving large areas flooded. In Chad, swollen rivers have destroyed nearly 2,700 hectares of crops and farmland and hundreds of homes, while record rainfall over the past month has threatened food security and livelihoods.

While parts of Chad face heavy rainfall every year, the rainfall in 2022 is unprecedented, and this extreme weather pattern reflects the adverse effects of climate change in the region. Its distinguishing feature is an increase in the number of storms, accompanied by greater variability, leading to more intense flash floods, which have particularly devastating consequences for populations in rural areas. The International Organization for Migration is supporting Chad’s national and humanitarian response to the emergency and providing emergency relief to the most affected groups, but this assistance is hampered by insufficient funding. As the rains continue, we expect more people to be displaced, but all humanitarian emergency reserves for aid have been exhausted.