Niger Government Allocates 12 Billion CFA Francs To Tackle Floods

Joy ChukwuAugust 24, 20241 Mins read309

The Nigerien government has allocated 12 billion CFA francs for flood relief and management efforts. This decision was made on August 22, 2024, during a council of ministers meeting chaired by the Head of State, Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani.

Niger has experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall this year, leading to severe flooding that has caused loss of life and extensive damage.

The floods have claimed 217 lives as of August 20, with 108 people drowning and 109 losing their lives due to collapsing homes. Additionally, 200 people have been injured, 46,525 households have been affected, and 353,287 people have been impacted. The floods have also destroyed 39,479 houses, 883 huts, 81 classrooms, and 16,965 livestock and have caused damage to critical infrastructure, particularly on major roads such as the Agadez-Tahoua axis and the Niamey-Ouallam axis. This is according to the Nigerien Press Agency (ANP).

The government has decided to fund relief operations primarily using its resources to address this crisis. An amount of 2 billion CFA francs is set to come from the CoLDEFF collections, while 10 billion CFA francs will be reallocated from the national flood prevention and management budget.

ANP reported that the National Committee for Flood Prevention and Management, established on August 10 under the Prime Minister’s leadership, is coordinating the government’s response. The committee has been actively working to assess the damage and assist those affected.

As of August 15, 2024, the government has provided food assistance to 31,963 households, benefiting 245,098 people, while restoration work is being carried out to fix damaged infrastructures.

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