Floods in the Chadian capital: a disaster of unprecedented magnitude
150,000 people are displaced by the rivers’ rising waters
Following the heaviest rainy season in 30 years which caused flooding in 18 of Chad's 23 provinces, by end of September many thought that the end of suffering was finally in sight. But this did not factor in the two rivers that surround Chad’s capital, N'Djamena, whose banks suddenly burst in mid-October.
On October 13, the Chari rose over the river banks, and the population rushed to fill bags with sand and soil in a desperate attempt to contain the water.
Then, on October 15, the second river, the Logone, also spilled over. With water rising up to one meter in a matter of minutes in the city, there was nothing to do but try to seek refuge on dry ground.
From Mid-October to mid-November, the waters did not recede, and the soil, which is very impervious, does not have the capacity to absorb all the excess water. As of mid-November, 110 square kilometers in N’Djamena and its immediate surroundings were under water.
UNICEF teams in Chad have been on the ground from the early hours, helping an estimated 150,000 people who already had so little – and now have lost the little they had.
