Five individuals have tragically died in floods caused by intense rainfall that swept across several regions of Togo on June 28 and 29.

The Gulf of Guinea experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation in late June, marking the beginning of the rainy season. This led to severe flooding not only in Togo but also in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria.

“As of today, the provisional toll indicates five fatalities, significant material damage, and major disruptions to traffic,” officials stated in a broadcast on national television.

Households displaced by rising waters

The floods have also “severely hampered transportation,” authorities confirmed. Rains, which fell for several hours on Monday, submerged numerous dwellings, particularly within the Togolese capital, Lomé.

Some families were forced to abandon their homes, seeking refuge with neighbors or relatives. “Rescue operations, assistance for affected populations and communities, and securing high-risk areas are currently in progress, alongside support measures for impacted families and households, reflecting a spirit of national solidarity,” the government detailed.

In recent days, several political parties and civil society organizations have urged residents in unaffected areas to extend solidarity to those displaced by the disaster. “These recurring floods underscore the urgent need to re-evaluate urbanization and sanitation policies,” criticized the Dynamique pour la majorité du peuple (DMP), a coalition of opposition political parties and civil society groups, in a statement issued on July 2. Togo is not the sole nation mourning losses from these heavy rains; Côte d’Ivoire has reported 59 deaths, and Ghana has confirmed twelve fatalities.