In Chad, 18 of the country’s 23 provinces suffered floods during the last rainy season but which are still continuing. Thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed, livestock washed away and many residents were forced to leave their homes, forced by the rising waters. The capital Ndjamena is not spared: the 9th district, where the Chari and the Logone cross, the two rivers that feed Lake Chad, is under water.
With our correspondent in Ndjamena, Madjiasra Nako
Nearly 100,000 Ndjamenes, or 5% of the capital’s population, were forced to leave their homes, pushed by the rising waters. ” At home, the water level comes to the chest. All I could take was my diplomas “says a young executive living in Digangali, a district of the 9th arrondissement.
Most of the destitute inhabitants who could not rent elsewhere or obtain hospitality were installed in three camps created by the government in Walia, Toukra in the 9th arrondissement and in Koundoul, a little further. Another is being created, says a humanitarian actor. Shelters made of plastic sheeting have been installed, but many families still sleep under makeshift tents made of loincloths and hung on wooden pillars.
Humanitarian aid is also being put in place. Food and blankets were distributed to the first to arrive. But not enough to satisfy everyone. ” We are trying to move quickly but we are facing delays in setting up funding “, explains a humanitarian actor.
While the rainy season, marked by cold and dry winds, is gradually arriving, humanitarian actors fear the resurgence of diseases such as malaria, cholera and other waterborne diseases.
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