Chad’s president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has declared a state of emergency as the country struggles to deal with unprecedented flooding that has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands.
The floods, caused by heavy rains in the south and central areas, have affected “more than a million people,” Deby said in a television address late Wednesday, adding that no one has died as a result.
He went on to say that the floodwaters had “swallowed up more than 465,000 hectares of fields and 19,000 heads of livestock.”
“A state of emergency will be declared in order to better contain and manage this natural disaster situation,” said the President.
According to the UN’s Human Development Index, Chad is the world’s third poorest country on Earth.
According to the UN, 5.5 million Chadians require “emergency humanitarian aid,” while the World Bank estimates that 42 percent of the 16 million population lives in poverty.
“We need to provide shelter, basic necessities, and health care,” Deby explained.
“We must thank the Almighty for sparing us from the loss of life until now,” he added.
He urged “friendly countries” as well as “technical and financial partners” to back the government’s efforts.
