Mali declared a state of national disaster on Friday after floods killed 30 people and affected over 47,000 others since the rainy season began, according to a statement from the council of ministers.
Each year, the West and Central Africa region experiences floods of varying intensity between June and September as rains sweep across the Sahel belt, bordering the Sahara desert.
This season, flooding has affected more than 716,000 people across the region.
The U.N.’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, noted that above-average cumulative rainfall is expected.
Heavy rains in the Sahel region during this period often lead to widespread destruction, displacing thousands of people and causing significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
Authorities across the region are on alert, coordinating relief efforts as the season progresses while bracing for potential further impacts in the coming weeks.
