Nigeria & Niger floods, food crisis

In northern Nigeria, heavy rains during August and September caused extensive flooding. About two million people in 5,000 villages in Jigawa state were displaced by the floods. In Kano state, two dams were abruptly opened without proper warning, adding to the disaster. 

The rains hit at harvest time, destroying many crops. The UN estimates that 12 million people will be affected by food shortages.

In Niger, after a long drought, the onset of the rains caused flooding that ruined the few crops there were. The UN warns that nearly half of Niger’s 15 million people will be facing a food crisis.