COTONOU, Benin – The U.N.’s humanitarian agency says flooding in the West African nation of Benin has killed 43 people in the last two weeks.
A statement released Saturday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says flood waters now cover two-thirds of the country’s territory. Unseasonably heavy rains have caused the Oueme and Mono rivers to overflow, leaving nearly 100,000 people homeless.
More than 800 cases of cholera have been reported so far. Aid workers fear the spread of a cholera epidemic in the wake of the floods. The bacterial infection passes through contaminated water and can lead to dehydration and death.
