A wave of severe flooding has swept through West Africa’s coastal region, killing at least 71 people across the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Benin.
According to an Ivorian government spokesperson, 59 people have died since the start of the rainy season in May.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Ghana, local authorities confirmed 12 deaths after Monday’s relentless rainfall drowned major parts of the capital city, Accra.
Benin has also reported significant flood damage as the regional deluge continues.
Further heavy rainfall is expected along the West African coast in the coming days.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 7.5 million people are at risk from flooding.
The rainy season in the coastal countries on the Gulf of Guinea normally lasts from around April to August and from October to November.
In Sahel countries such as Mali and Senegal, almost all annual rainfall occurs between June and September.
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