NEARLY 400 people died in Niger and more than 1.5 million others were affected by floods triggered by last year’s exceptionally torrential rains, according to a final toll announced on Saturday.

“Floods caused the deaths of 396 people during the course of 2024,” said Interior Minister Mohamed Toumba.

A further 405 were injured  and more than 200,000 households– amounting to 1,526,653 people – were affected, hesaid.

Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by man-made fossil fuel emissions is increasing the likelihood, intensity and length of extreme weather events such as severe droughts and torrential rains.

The severe droughts in Africa’s Sahel region exacerbate the flooding because the dry, hard soil loses much of its capacity to absorb water when it rains again.

— Xinhua