15 dead, 23,000 affected by rainy-season floods in Niger

Flooding and landslips during Niger’s rainy season have so far left 15 people dead and affected more than 23,000 others, the civil protection services said on Thursday.

The worst-hit regions are Zinder in the south of the arid Sahel state, followed by Maradi and Diffa, also in the south.

Niger, the world’s poorest country by the benchmark of the UN’s Human Development Index, is often hit by floods when the badly-needed rains arrive.

The season, which runs from June to August or September, has become deadlier in recent years, including in Niger’s desert north.

Last year at least 70 people died across the country and more than 200,000 were affected, according to local and UN figures.