Heavy rain causes heavy flooding in Niger. Many communities and thousands of people are affected – there are many dead.
Niamey – At least 64 people were killed in the floods in Niger, West Africa. Heavy rains had flooded 63 communities in the country, said the Ministry of Disaster Management on Monday evening.
Around 70,000 people were affected by the flood disaster, at least 5,000 houses collapsed, it said. According to the ministry, the heavy rain began on August 11 and lasted for several days. For the coming days, weather experts expect further heavy rainfall with the risk of flooding. The government should evacuate people in vulnerable areas, it said.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and an important partner for the seven major industrial nations (G7) in the fight against Islamist terrorism in West Africa. One of the largest migration routes to Europe runs through the Niger, which borders Libya in the north. In July, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) promised the crisis state further aid from Germany, including security cooperation, development cooperation and humanitarian aid. dpa
