Millions affected by unprecedented flooding in Chad, says UNFPA

Since July 2024, catastrophic flooding in Chad has wreaked havoc on nearly two million people, marking it as one of the most severe disasters in recent memory.

Homes have been swept away, and lives have been shattered. As the floodwaters surged, countless families sought safety on higher ground, grabbing whatever belongings they could carry.

No region has been untouched by this disaster.

Numerous individuals have lost everything, with over 13,000 people displaced and compelled to find shelter in temporary camps.

Gloria Nadgitssen, a woman forced from her home, expressed her despair, saying, “This is where I live. Here is where I sleep. This is all I have to eat. The water has destroyed everything—the rice, the sorrel, the okra. Everything is submerged.”

The global climate crisis is amplifying the frequency and severity of natural disasters like floods, droughts, and cyclones, undermining health, education, and agricultural systems, and devastating the lives and livelihoods of countless individuals.

Countries like Chad, which are among the most affected and least equipped to handle climate change, are currently facing dire humanitarian challenges.

In N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, residents found themselves in a desperate situation as the River Chari and its tributary, the Logone, swelled to unprecedented levels due to heavy rainfall in October, inundating entire neighbourhoods.

The rising floodwaters have increased dangers for women and girls, especially those in the Chari-Baguirmi displacement camp.

Midwife Lucille Denembaye shared a heart-breaking story: “I met a woman whose husband gave her HIV. She is just twenty-seven, a mother of five, and her home has collapsed. Now, she can’t care for her children; she has no shelter and no food. Her situation is truly dire.”

Suddenly deprived of essential services like healthcare, food, shelter, and clean drinking water, childbirth turned into a life-threatening ordeal for expectant mothers.

Additionally, mothers facing malnutrition found themselves unable to provide milk for their infants.

Displaced woman Chanceline Milamem lamented, “Look at me! I’ve become so thin because there’s no food. If there were food, I could eat, and I could produce milk for my baby, but there’s nothing, and my baby is getting thinner. I’m losing weight every day. Thankfully, the midwives have been taking good care of me.”

Around 4,000 people have sought refuge in the Chari-Baguirmi displacement camp in the Toukra area of Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.

The risks of violence and exploitation have surged, particularly for adolescent girls, as schools have closed their doors.

In response, UNFPA, the United Nations agency focused on sexual and reproductive health, is stepping in to address these urgent needs.

A total of 248 humanitarian midwives have been dispatched throughout Chad, including in displacement camps like Chari-Baguirmi.

These midwives are specially trained to handle obstetric emergencies and provide support to survivors of violence.

UNFPA has also supplied them with essential resources for safe childbirth and the clinical management of rape.

The COP29 climate conference, which wrapped up on November 24, 2024, achieved significant global agreements on climate action, including a new collective target for climate-related financing to reach USD 300 billion annually by 2035.

Now, these agreements must be implemented, with specific funding allocated for women and girls impacted by disasters in climate-vulnerable countries like Chad.

Investments in adaptation and resilience strategies are crucial to safeguard women and girls from future climate-related catastrophes.

This embodies the essence of climate justice.