The United Nations refugee agency says it will begin an airlift of tents to the West African state of Benin this week, which has been hit by the worst floods in living memory.
Two-thirds of the country is affected by the flooding, with around 700,000 people having lost their homes.
The airlift, due to begin in the next few days, will fly 3,000 tents from Denmark to Cotonoou the capital of Benin.
The tents are badly needed but will barely begin to meet the scale of the crisis.
A spokeswoman for the aid agency CARE says farmers are clinging to the roofs of their homes or liviing in boats tied to buildings. Clean drinking water is in short supply and there’s a fear that cases of cholera could become an epidemic.
