Floods in West Africa Displace Nearly 1 Million People

According to SAEDNEWS, Heavy rains and floods in Mali, Nigeria, and Niger have displaced nearly 950,000 people from their homes.

The nonprofit organization Save the Children raised alarms on Friday about the dangers facing the hundreds of thousands of children now displaced, including the risks of disease, hunger from destroyed crops, and disruptions to education.

Although this period is usually the rainiest time of year in West Africa, this year's rainfall has been particularly intense.

In Nigeria, flooding has impacted 29 of the country's 36 states, overwhelming dams and causing water levels to rise in the Niger and Benue rivers. In Mali, three regions in the west and Gao in the northeast have been struck by the floods. Niger has also been severely affected, with flooding impacting all eight regions of the country since May, leading to the destruction of homes. The Maradi region in southern Niger has been the hardest hit, according to Save the Children.

In response to the crisis, Save the Children is providing assistance to flood victims in Mali's Segou region. Their efforts include food security programs, cash transfers, water, hygiene and sanitation services, and child protection activities. The Segou region is particularly affected, with 15,656 children impacted, representing about 51 percent of the total number of children affected by the floods.