Many reported dead or missing in floods

Some 129,500 people have been affected by floods in Chad, and 100 are reported dead or missing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report dated 11 September. The floods occurred when torrential rain caused major rivers to burst their banks, according to the report, which was based on information provided by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena. The worst affected areas are Tandjilé, Logone Occidental and Logone Oriental in the south, Baguirmi in the west and Ouaddai in the east, OCHA said, adding that about 10,500 houses were reported damaged and thousands of domestic animals missing. Chad had already been suffering from famine as a result of drought. The floods have "worsened the famine situation and call for a significant emergency humanitarian intervention", OCHA said. It said the government had decided to conduct further investigations in the affected regions in collaboration with its UN partners so as to identify the immediate needs of vulnerable groups. Chad's government gave UN and donor representatives an initial briefing on 7 September. It was scheduled to provide them with further information in the coming week, and possibly call for assistance, according to the report. OCHA said it was prepared to serve as a channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in coordination and consultation with relevant organizations in the UN system. [The full report is available on the OCHA Internet website at http://www.reliefweb.int ]