The government of Ivory Coast has confirmed that at least 59 people have died so far due to devastating floods. Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly expressed the cabinet’s deep condolences over the 59 flood-related deaths this year. Following days of record-breaking torrential rain, flash floods and landslides struck Ivory Coast and the capital of neighboring Ghana last Monday; 24 people were killed and many went missing in a single day.
The death toll subsequently rose to 59, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP). Last Monday, several areas in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, and the neighboring city of Tema were completely submerged by floodwaters. Roads and multi-story buildings were inundated, leaving these regions entirely cut off from the main city. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast’s Minister of National Solidarity, Ms. Belmonde Dogo, stated that the municipalities of Attécoubé and Yopougon in the capital, Abidjan, were the hardest hit by the continuous rainfall over the past few days, accounting for the majority of the fatalities.
Government spokesperson Coulibaly urged residents living in high-risk areas to relocate to safer locations immediately and to strictly adhere to official safety guidelines. According to the World Meteorological Organization, such deadly floods have become a recurring disaster across various regions of Africa. Despite the continent’s negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa remains among the regions most vulnerable to the extreme and adverse effects of climate change.
