How floods have turned lives in Chad upside down

By Firmain Eric Mbadinga

The stillness of a night sky can be deceiving. Just like Dieudonné Alladoum's stoicism when he spends nights outdoors staring at the celestial canopy and contemplating the upheaval wrought on his life by Chad's most devastating cycle of rain and floods in memory.

Alladoum, who lives in the landlocked Central African country's N'Djamena province, lost almost everything he owned during the course of multiple waves of flooding since late July. So did Sob-hinka Damaris and her family.

The only thing that keeps these displaced Chadian men and their families going is hope.

"I have been here for several months now with my wife and children. We are exposed to the elements. We urgently need mats, tents and supplies, but are yet to receive any aid. We are soldiering on because there is little else that we can do," Alladoum tells TRT Afrika.

Death and destruction

Thunderclaps and lightning bring fear of more misery to a country where recurrent heavy rainfall is seen as an anomaly, especially in the desert-like northeast.

Such has been the torrent this year that floods have killed people and destroyed property in all 23 of the country's provinces.

According to data collated by the government and the United Nations, more than 550 people have died of causes linked to floods, most of them by drowning. The affected population numbers almost two million.

Material damage includes the destruction of 164,000 homes, the loss of 60,000 head of livestock, and crops sown on nearly 250,000 hectares of arable land.

State to 'stand by' flood victims

Floodwaters swamped Alladoum's home in N'Djamena province after the Chari and Logone rivers, flowing eight metres above their normal levels, breached their banks.

While thousands of displaced people have since been living in camps, only a handful of official sites like Farcha Milezi and Basilique, both located in the N'Djamena region, are formally recognised.

A significant aspect of recognised sites is that they get preference in the distribution of food and other humanitarian assistance.

In September, the secretary general of the ministry of social affairs, Mahamat Abdelkerim Bagari, said the state would stand by those affected by the floods, which environmentalists blame on climate change.

'Don't know what to do'

"I can assure you that during these challenging times, the department reiterates our dedication to providing social support," he said as a batch of citizens displaced by flooding arrived at Farcha Milezi.

In addition to the official sites for flood victims, thousands have set up shelters independently.

Damaris, mother of a toddler and several older children, moved with her family to a makeshift shelter when the rising waters of the Chari swallowed their home. She worries about her youngest child, who has been suffering from diarrhoea since.

"I don't know what to do. The state has to find solutions for us. We are short of food. We are surrounded by water but don't have drinking water. Sometimes, we make do with water from the swamp," she tells TRT Afrika.

Nearly $100m worth of aid needed

Stories like that of Damaris echo across provinces such as Lac, Mandoul, Moyen Chari, Tandjilé, and Mayo-Kebbi Est. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) lists these provinces as among the worst affected by floods.

The UN estimates that US $97 million is needed to provide appropriate assistance to people in distress following the floods.

The Chadian government, which has announced a budget of 580 million CFA francs ($942,000) to address the most urgent needs, has sought assistance from various quarters to fund its flood response plan.

Chad's Prime Minister, Allah-Maye Halina, made a formal appeal to this effect on October 4.

Schools affected

Alphonse Djobsou, the headmaster of a community school in Sokolo on the outskirts of N'Djamena, gets increasingly anxious at the thought of scores of his students missing out on classes at the start of the new academic session.

"We have been experiencing this kind of flooding since 2022. But it rained even more this year. Floodwaters inundated the school while the students and their families got scattered. The authorities have requested that we wait another month before classes resume," he tells TRT Afrika.

"We have suggested that the authorities construct a dyke in the village to prevent flooding after every spell of heavy rain."

In October, the army was mobilised to assist in relocating people to safe areas. A national flood response and prevention committee was established to initiate corrective measures, including clearing natural and artificial waterways, particularly in urban areas.

Officials say $20.4 million have been distributed to humanitarian partners for deployment on the ground.

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