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Terry Ally

Press Officer, Disasters and Emergencies, Plan International

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Record Rainfall Triggers Floods Across Niger

Posted: 21/08/2012 00:48

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UK Impact , Plan International , Floods , Impact , International Aid , Niger , Sahel Food Crisis , Photo Galleries , World , UK News

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Severe flooding has reached the capital Niamey over the holy Islamic Ramadan holiday weekend of Eid-ul-Fitr displacing thousands of people and destroying numerous homes. Just over 161mmrain fell overnight Saturday 19 August 2012.

It comes just two weeks after half a year's worth of rain fell in the Dossa Region (140km from the capital) in just 24 hours destroying thousands of homes and leaving at least 75,000 people homeless. All these people were affected by the Sahel Food Crisis and many of their farms with the 2012 crops were destroyed.

In the nick of time

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For Moumouni Hamadou (2nd from right) relief aid has come in the nick of time. A farmer in Sandidey, Niger, he lost the majority of his 2011 crop to drought. In 2012 he lost his home to torrential flood waters. He, his wife and six children were down to their last meal of millet porridge on the same day that aid arrived. They ponder the future because the flood also destroyed his new crop that was due to be harvested in October.