IOM Intensifies Emergency Response to Severe Flooding across West and Central Africa

Geneva/ Dakar, 25 September – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up its emergency operations to assist millions impacted by the severe flooding across West and Central Africa.  IOM is working to deliver a comprehensive and integrated regional response, collaborating closely with sister UN agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP.   

Since the onset of the rainy season, heavy downpours have ravaged vast regions, claiming more than 1,500 lives, affecting 4 million people and displacing more than 1.2 million individuals across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger.  

“This year’s floods are unprecedented, a stark reminder of the growing impacts of climate change in our region,” said Sylvia Ekra, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to support affected communities and local authorities. While we continue to strengthen emergency preparedness year-round, the scale of the situation at hand demands urgent additional funding to address immediate and longer-term needs” .

In Chad, one of the hardest-hit countries, over 1.5 million people have been affected, and over 164,000 homes destroyed. Displacement is widespread, particularly in N’Djamena and southern regions along the Chari River. The floods have devastated more than 400,000 hectares of arable land, severely impacting food security and livelihoods. IOM is leveraging its experience in helping the government's emergency response, drawing on lessons learnt from the 2022 flood.   

Rapid response teams are helping local authorities assess immediate needs through IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). IOM has also reopened previously used displacement sites to provide temporary shelter and essential services to those affected, actively coordinating within the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) framework.   

In the Lake region and N'Djamena, IOM Chad is preparing to provide immediate multisectoral assistant to 7,000 direct beneficiaries through the provision of 700 shelters, water trucking, and repairing of 21 water pumps and 350 latrines.   

In Nigeria, the floods have displaced nearly 650,000 people. Torrential rains have destroyed homes, farmlands, and vital infrastructure across 31 states, with the most severe impact reported in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Benue. IOM has allocated $3 million through its Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to provide critical relief, while working with local partners to assess additional needs. 

Meanwhile, between July and September, Mali has experienced the most significant rainfall since 1967, affecting nearly all regions and impacting over 180,000 people. IOM has been helping the government to assist those impacted in the hardest-hit regions of Gao, Ségou, and Mopti.  The Organization's support includes emergency tents and shelter materials, as well as technical assistance for the construction of 635 shelters.  As of 19 September, 20,389 flood-affected individuals had been registered by the DTM team.   

Across West and Central Africa, the floods have exacerbated health concerns. Stagnant water and poor sanitation has increased the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera while damaged infrastructure such as roads have limited access to affected areas further complicating humanitarian response efforts.   

Despite the ongoing effort, the scale of the disaster has revealed critical gaps in the resources available to respond to the emergency. With the rainy season expected to continue until November, IOM urgently calls on the international community for increased support to meet the growing needs.    

IOM's ongoing efforts on the ground are made possible thanks to the generous support of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB). 

For more information, please contact:   

Dakar : Joëlle Furrer, jfurrer@iom.int    

Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int