Officials link this year’s rain in region with climate change
RH Desk
October 8
Nearly 200 people have died and over quarter of a million of people have been affected due to heavy rains in the West African state of Niger, officials have said.
The Civil Protection Service said rainy-season floods took 192 lives, impacted over 263,000 people, and damaged over 30,000 homes, with the worst-affected regions including Maradi and Zinder in the center of the country, and Dosso and Tahoua in the southwest and the western region of the country.
Katiellou Gaptia Lawan, head of the national meteorological agency noted that this year’s rain in the region was “consistent with models of impacts from climate change,” the news agency AFP reported.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, Niger is the world’s poorest country. The statistics say over 4.4 million people — fall into the category of “severe” food insecurity.
