Chad, already battered by periodic shortages of food, has encountered a new catastrophe: torrential rains have devastated all 23 of the the nation's provinces, triggering catastrophic flooding.
The number of dead individuals as a result of the flooding has been alarming as not less than 500 people has been confirmed dead,and thousands of families have had their dwellings washed away by the floodwaters. Furthermore, more than 400,000 hectares of cropland have been damaged, jeopardizing food security in a country where over 3.4 million people are malnourished.
IInfrastructure is also crippled, with bridges and roadways underwater, making entry to disaster zones especially challenging for relief workers.
Pregnant women, who are especially vulnerable, are housed in improvised camps with no access to fundamental medical care.