Massive Floods Devastate Six African Countries, Impacting Millions

More than four million people across six African countries—Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria—have been hit by severe floods. The disaster, unprecedented in scale, has displaced over 500,000, destroyed 300,000 homes, and claimed over 1,000 lives.

In Maiduguri, Nigeria, residents describe houses swept away, a prison washed out, and streets filled with floating corpses. Saleh Bukar, a local, recounts being roused by neighbors screaming, "Water is flooding everywhere!" Many drowned in their sleep.

Aishatu Ba'agana, a mother of three, lost her newborn to the flood. She hasn't seen her family since. The flood destroyed crucial infrastructure, including a dam that unleashed 540 billion liters of water, collapsing bridges and turning the city into a river.

Canoe trips now cost more than a month's wage. Falmata Muhammed, a mother of three, was charged $50 for a short trip, more than her monthly income. She laments, "After losing almost everything to floods, she was upset that some are making it a big business, using the disaster to make a huge amount of money."

In Niger, over 841,000 people are affected. Harira Adamou, a single mother of six, lost her mud hut in Agadez. She says, "The rooms are destroyed; the walls fell down." Unemployed and widowed, she lives in a temporary shelter, fearing more rain.

Africa, despite contributing little to global greenhouse gas emissions, is highly vulnerable to extreme weather. The cost of adapting to such events in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated at $30-50 billion annually over the next decade. By 2030, up to 118 million Africans could be impacted.