Niger floods kill twice as many as last year

Flooding has killed more than 130 people in Niger since July, according to the authorities.

Niger is hit by floods every year, but twice as many lives have been lost this rainy season as in 2021.

The floods have also killed hundreds of livestock and destroyed large swathes of farms.

Niger’s Minister of Humanitarian Services, Lawan Magaji, says the regions of Maradi, Zinder and Diffa were the worst affected.

Nearly 150,000 people have been forced from their homes in those three regions.

Several countries in West Africa, including Nigeria, are experiencing torrential rains – which often lead to devastating floods. Experts partly attribute this to the impact of climate change.