The city of Niamey, Niger’s capital with a population of about 1.5 million, is facing severe isolation as rising floodwaters have cut off most of its connectivity with the rest of the country due to heavy rainfall in the Sahel region since June.
The major exit routes from the city are now submerged, impacting around 11,500 residents. The region has witnessed a significant toll with 217 fatalities and over 350,000 people affected over the last three months, under the governance of military-led authorities since taking control in July 2023.
Initially spared, Niamey in the southwest is now navigable primarily by canoes as traditional road transportation ceases to function effectively.
Residents like Habiboulaye Abdoulaye now rely on alternative means for inter-city travels, stating, “To access other parts of the country, you need to use a canoe and hope for a vehicle at the opposite end.”
Transport operators have halted their services to other parts of Niger, leaving the populace stranded. Driver Ali Adamou narrated a harrowing experience of his truck and other vehicles succumbing to the deluge of water, with one minibus sinking perilously.
Amid the chaos, fee-based dinghies, alongside law enforcement and military vessels, are aiding in the transfer of trapped locals.
Efforts are underway to restore connectivity, with Sogea-Satom, a French construction company, striving to reopen National Route 1 – Niger’s primary 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) highway.
Construction activities are visible along the Niger River in Niamey, where excavators are reinforcing the banks, and volunteers and soldiers are diligently sealing breaches with sandbags.
The critical Tera-Niamey highway, serving as the primary trucking route to northern Burkina Faso, has recently been operational again.
Colonel Salissou Mahaman Salissou, the transport minister, reassured the public that the government is actively engaged in restoring seamless traffic, apprehensive of a prolonged disruption leading to potential shortages, particularly in fuel supply.
Source: AFP