Deadly floods kill over 50 in northern Chad

Yaounde, Aug 16 (IANS) At least 54 people have been killed due to flooding following continuous rainfall in Chad's northern province of Tibesti, authorities and local media informed.

The rainfall, which started last Friday and continued to Wednesday, destroyed properties, Mahamat Tochi Chidi, governor of Tibesti province, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Over 50,000 people have been displaced by flooding in the province, local media reported.

Fatime Boukar Kossei, the country's minister of social action, national solidarity and humanitarian affairs, said on Thursday that makeshift shelters have been erected to host displaced people.

"It is essential that affected populations settle there to avoid health risks linked to flooding. All measures have been taken to guarantee the safety and well-being of everyone on this site," Kossei said on her social media platforms after touring the capital N'Djamena to sensitise residents on the availability of the shelter.

Chad has been experiencing flooding since mid-May that has already affected 245,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The organisation reported last week that the torrential rains and severe flooding have already killed 40 people in the country.