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Almost a million people displaced by floods in West Africa

Published

2 months ago

September 9, 2024

Almost 950,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Mali, Nigeria, and Niger as a result of the recent torrential rains and flooding.

The hundreds of thousands of children who are being displaced are at risk for sickness, starvation due to agricultural destruction, and disruptions to their schooling, as warned by the non-governmental organisation Save the Children on Friday, September 6.

In West Africa, this is typically the rainiest period of the year, but this year’s rains have been more than usual.

Of the 36 states in Nigeria, 29 have experienced widespread flooding. The two main rivers, the Niger and the Benue, are now at higher water levels due to the heavy downpour, which has caused dams to overflow.

Gao in the northeast and three Malian regions in the west have been affected. Floods that started in May in neighbouring Niger have devastated all eight districts, sweeping away homes and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. According to Save the Children, the Maradi region in the southern part of the country was primarily affected.

In the three nations, there have been at least 460 fatalities.

With 15,656 infected children or almost 51% of the total number of affected children in Mali, the Segou region is the most affected.

In response to the floods in Adamawa state, Nigeria, Save the Children is providing foldable mattresses, blankets, and supplies for hygiene and sanitation to the most vulnerable homes, particularly those with elderly and children.

Africa is dealing with many climate-related issues. While rainfall has had disastrous impacts in nations like Sudan, Uganda, and the Central African Republic over the past two years, Eastern Africa struggles with drought. Climate change has been connected to the developments.

Related Topics:Featured Flood West Africa

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Ivory Coast to create $500 million green financing fund

Published

4 days ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Ivory Coast will establish a $500 million green financing fund to assist sustainable growth, the IMF said.

Africa’s 54 countries have been worst hit by climate change, although emitting less pollution than developed nations. They get only 1% of yearly global climate financing.

The African Green Banks Initiative aims to develop a $1.5 billion ecosystem of green investment facilities by 2030, including Ivory Coast’s new facility.

The Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, the Ivory Coast government, multilateral development banks, development finance organisations, and possible private sources will all contribute to the facility’s capitalisation.

The leading cocoa-growing country in the world, West Africa, has been drafting new legislation to help other green finance projects, such as a body to regulate carbon credit management.

The consequences of climate change have disproportionately affected Africa, making cyclones, floods, and droughts worse in recent years.

A 30-month, $1.3 billion loan agreement for Ivory Coast under the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility was authorised by the executive board in March.

According to the IMF, the funding agreement will help the Abidjani administration implement its pledge to lessen the negative consequences of climate change.

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1,172 Nigerians killed, over 1,000 kidnapped in nine months— NHRC

Published

1 week ago

November 14, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has put the figures of Nigerians killed and kidnapped by non-state actors from January to September 2024, at 1,172 and 1,463 respectively.

A new data released on Wednesday by the organization reveal that the month of May saw the 298 persons killed, making it the highest, while March recorded the highest number of abductions with 499 kidnappings.

These data which was presented at a workshop on the state of human rights in Nigeria by the commission and the European Union, in Abuja, attributed the rise in kidnappings, killings and child abandonment in Nigeria to the negligence and failure of the state to protect its citizens.

While presenting the data, NHRC Senior Human Rights Adviser, Hillary Ogbonna, gave a breakdown of what he described as the alarming rise in human rights abuses, including kidnappings, killings and child abandonment.

“By January 2024, we already had 150 kidnappings and 55 killings associated mainly with non-state actors. What has become the norm is the killing of law enforcement officers,” Ogbonna said.

“We started with seven policemen killed in January. From victims’ perspectives, we had quite a number of victims for human rights violations for January.”

Also speaking at the event, the NHRC Executive Secretary in Nigeria, Tony Ojukwu, said:

“In recent years, we have witnessed alarming trends and threats against those who dare to speak the truth to power.

“It serves as a stark reminder that the protection of human rights is an ongoing struggle that requires continuous vigilance, action and cooperation from all sectors of the society,” Ojukwu said.

A delegation from the EU which also made a presentation, reiterated its commitment to support Nigeria to overcome these challenges, while urging the Federal Government to work with the armed forces to end this trend.

“The European Union will continue to work around the world through diplomacy,” the Head of EU Delegation, Zissimos Vergos, said.h