Floods hit 22,000 in Niger, Burkina Faso: UN
Pastor Dale Morgan
Floods hit 22,000 in Niger, Burkina Faso: UN*
GENEVA, Sept 8 (AFP) Sep 08, 2006
About 22,000 people have been left homeless and facing hunger after
heavy flooding in Niger and Burkina Faso, the United Nations'
humanitarian body said Friday.
Niger has borne the brunt of almost four weeks of heavy rains, with
almost 16,000 people affected, said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
To the west, in Burkina Faso, the figure is about 6,000.
Besides destroying homes, the floods have also wiped out swathes of
farmland and devastated herds of livestock, raising the spectre of
hunger for a population that has long been vulnerable to food shortages.
There are also rising fears that the disaster could fuel deadly
outbreaks of cholera and malaria.
Aid agencies are rushing supplies to the affected areas, including
tents, food, medicines and mosquito nets, said Byrs.
The floods have also affected other West African nations, including
Mauritania, Mali and Nigeria.