Chad residents strengthen riverbanks as capital prepares for severe flooding: Video
Flood-weary residents of Chad’s capital, N'Djamena, are working together to shore up riverbanks, as rising waters threaten their homes after months of torrential rains.
According to the United Nations, since July, the relentless downpour has claimed 576 lives and affected more than 1.9 million people across the country, one of the poorest in the world.
In the Sabangali district, young people have been tirelessly building makeshift dams for over three weeks, hoping to hold back the surging waters of the Chari and Logone rivers. The water levels reached a record 8.18 meters this week, surpassing the previous record of 8.14 meters set during Chad’s catastrophic floods in 2022.
Shopkeepers and local residents like Nouba Josué and Mahamat Ibrahim have joined forces, using whatever materials they can to reinforce the riverbanks. "We can't just stand by and let the water destroy our homes," said Josué.
"We’ve been working non-stop, and if the water hasn’t broken through yet, we believe we can hold it off for a while longer," said Ibrahim.
The urgency of their efforts reflects the crisis the country faces, with more than 10 percent of Chad’s population directly impacted by the floods, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The UN has called for swift action to address the climate crisis affecting West and Central Africa, including Chad. Despite the urgent need, only 15 percent of the $129 million required to manage the flooding disaster has been raised.
