Even though the wet season has barely started, floods have already claimed many lives in Côte d'Ivoire.
An exceptionally intense monsoon period beginning in mid-May has resulted in fatal floods, according to Ivory Coast government representative Amadou Coulibaly, who informed a ministerial session on Wednesday.
Coulibaly noted that "there has been an exceptionally heavy loss of 59 lives this year, despite the fact that we're still early into the rainy season."
Ongoing searches in regions impacted by flooding continue, with officials worried that the death count may increase, he further noted.
People living in informal areas face risks from floods.
Each year, during the rainy season in Ivory Coast, which runs from May until late July, heavy rains cause floods and landslides that result in numerous deaths, particularly among people residing in underdeveloped regions.
The government stated on Monday that ten individuals lost their lives due to flooding in the capital city of Abidjan within a span of two days. Flooding remains an ongoing issue in Abidjan.
Major unregulated communities also emerge in regions susceptible to flooding due to swift city expansion.
For many years, the authorities have been removing so-called unstable communities located in areas vulnerable to flooding through forced evictions and destruction of buildings.
Spokesperson Coulibaly stated that regions "in which inhabitants followed the government's safety guidelines and consented to move" have not experienced any flood-related fatalities.
He mentioned that 20 individuals lost their lives in the Attecoube area of Abidjan, with several casualties having gone back to locations that had been previously evacuated.
Flooding resulted in deaths in nearby Ghana, where whole structures and roadways were covered by water in Accra.
Severe flooding occurs frequently in certain areas of Africa, which ranks among the most susceptible regions globally to intense weather conditions. The African continent contributes just a tiny portion of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the World Meteorological Organization.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Writer: Wesley Rahn (with AFP, Reuters)