Cameroon Floods Displace 70,000, Thousands Flee to Chad for Safety
Officials in Cameroon report that fresh floods have displaced at least 70,000 people from temporary camps set up for flood victims along the country’s northern border with Chad and Nigeria. Some of these victims have crossed into neighboring Chad, where ongoing floods have already left at least two million people homeless, according to Chad’s government.
Kamsouloum Abba Kabir, a lawmaker representing the town of Kousseri on Cameroon’s northern border, urged residents to seek safety in local schools, mosques, and churches as waters from the overflowing Lake Chad basin continue to wreak havoc. In a video aired on Cameroon state TV on Monday, Kamsouloum warned that recent floods, which have already displaced over 70,000 people, are now sweeping through more villages and camps, posing further threats to civilians, animals, and the environment.
One flood victim, 39-year-old farmer Nogoue Shivom, recounted how she was forced out of her bed late Sunday night when floods hit the Kousseri camp. While she was able to save her three children, she lost the supplies given to her by a charity following the first wave of floods that devastated her village.
Cameroon reported in September that over two million people have been affected by floods in its northern border region with Chad, leaving more than 200,000 homeless. The flooding has destroyed farmland and killed livestock, leading the government to warn of an impending famine and to relocate displaced civilians to temporary camps like Kousseri.
Rebeka, the highest-ranking government official in Kousseri, stated that by Sunday night, thousands of flood victims had fled the camp and nearby villages, with many crossing into Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, in search of safety. The Cameroonian government estimates that around 70,000 people have either crossed into Chad or are sheltering in border villages. While the government has confirmed deaths from the floods, no further details have been provided.
Chad’s government, facing its own severe flooding crisis, has appealed for international aid. Since July, extreme rainfall has killed at least 500 people and displaced about two million. Chad has not yet commented on the influx of Cameroonian flood victims. This is not the first time Cameroonians have sought refuge in Chad—thousands fled to Chad in 2021 following conflicts over water between cattle ranchers and fishermen.
Last month, Doctors Without Borders warned that a coordinated international response is urgently needed to address the dire conditions facing flood victims, including shortages of food, shelter, clean water, and healthcare. Both Cameroon and Chad have said that over five million people in the region are at risk due to a severe humanitarian crisis driven by climate change, warning that the ongoing floods will lead to famine and conflicts over resources.