The city of Niamey, Niger’s capital with a population of around 1.5 million, is nearing isolation from the rest of the country as floodwaters continue to rise due to heavy rains in the Sahel region since June.
The major exit routes from the city are now submerged, impacting approximately 11,500 residents.
Since June, the relentless rainfall has resulted in 217 fatalities nationwide and affected over 350,000 people, as reported by the military government that assumed power in July 2023.
Initially unaffected, Niamey in the southwestern region has now seen the streets navigated by canoes instead of buses and delivery vehicles.
Residents like Habiboulaye Abdoulaye from a surrounded suburb now must rely on canoes to access other parts of the country, hoping to find transportation on the opposite shore.
Most transportation companies have halted services connecting Niamey with other regions of Niger.
Driver Ali Adamou recounted a harrowing experience as his truck along with four others were engulfed by the floodwaters, while he narrowly escaped a sinking minibus.
Residents are utilizing dilapidated dinghies priced at 500 CFA francs per ride (slightly less than $1), along with support from gendarme and military boats to transport the stranded.
East of the capital, the French construction company Sogea-Satom is striving to reopen National Route 1, Niger’s primary highway spanning nearly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles).
Excavators are busy along the Niger River in Niamey bolstering the dikes, while volunteers and soldiers work diligently to seal cracks with sandbags.
The Tera-Niamey highway, vital for truck transport between the capital and northern Burkina Faso, has recently resumed operations.
Colonel Salissou Mahaman Salissou, the transport minister, reassured the public via television that the government is committed to reinstating traffic flow, fearing potential shortages, particularly in fuel, resulting from prolonged transport disruptions.
AFP