Mali's government declared a national state of emergency on Friday after weeks of heavy rains brought the death toll in flooding to 30 since June.
Some 7,077 households nationwide have been hit by flooding, leaving 47,374 people displaced or affected, the government said in a statement after a special cabinet meeting.
In the capital, Bamako, some 563 households and 4,639 people were affected, with five deaths. The worst-hit area was the region of Gao in the north, with 9,936 people affected, and six deaths.
Heavy rains have fallen across the entire Sahel, with flooding leaving 217 dead in neighbouring Niger and dozens in Chad. Mali's cabinet allocated 4 billion CFA francs ($7 million) to stockpile needed foods and to assist affected households.
Seasonal rains
This decision was announced in a statement released after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting chaired by Col. Assimi Goita, the president of the transition government of the West African state.
"Since the beginning of the rainy season until August 22, 2024, 122 cases of flooding have been recorded in 17 regions and the Bamako district. These floods have affected 7,077 households, or 47,374 people, including 14,451 men, 13,576 women, and 19,347 children," a government statement said.
The statement noted that these floods have caused 30 deaths in many regions.
Cases of house collapses, lightning, and strong winds were reported in certain regions, the government said.
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