Story perspectives

West Africa Floods Kill 71, Threaten 7.5 Million People

7/2/2026

Summary

West Africa Floods

Flooding since the May rains has killed 59 people in Ivory Coast.
Heavy rain early this week caused 12 deaths in Ghana and flooded much of Accra.
Benin also experienced flooding during the same period.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports about 7.5 million people are at risk region-wide.
Authorities warn more heavy rainfall will affect the West African coast in the coming days.

Summary

Government Evicts

The government has intensified eviction and demolition of informal settlements in flood-prone zones as a safety strategy.
Spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly said no fatalities occurred in areas where residents obeyed relocation orders.
Around 20 deaths were recorded in the Attecoube neighbourhood after some people returned to homes authorities had cleared.
Officials note that rapid urban expansion has produced widespread informal housing in flood-vulnerable parts of Abidjan, complicating disaster mitigation.

Summary

Fire Service Mobilizes

Emergency calls began at around 7 a.m. on Monday as floodwaters entered homes, the National Disaster Management Organisation reported.
The Ghana National Fire Service asked the military to reach many flooded neighborhoods, said spokesperson Alex King Nartey.
Rescue teams pulled hundreds of residents from submerged buildings, with deputy director Mariam Dongyela Millah calling the area completely flooded.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency warned locals to prepare for additional rain later in the week.

History

Historical Context

On 1 June 2015 heavy rain overwhelmed Accra’s clogged drains, killing at least 25 people and triggering a petrol-station blast that added roughly 200 deaths; Mayor Alfred Oko Vanderpuije called the event critical. A similar flood hit the city in 2016, submerging Kaneshie market. Today’s West African storms force OCHA, Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation and the Red Cross to evacuate thousands, echoing those past crises.

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West Africa Floods

Flooding since the May rains has killed 59 people in Ivory Coast.
Heavy rain early this week caused 12 deaths in Ghana and flooded much of Accra.
Benin also experienced flooding during the same period.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports about 7.5 million people are at risk region-wide.
Authorities warn more heavy rainfall will affect the West African coast in the coming days.

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