NDJAMENA, 8 August 2008 (IRIN) - Torrential rain in the Chadian capital N'djamena has caused serious flooding that has cut off parts of the suburbs from the city centre.

Collapsed houses, flooded streets and deep pools of stagnant water are visible throughout the low-rise, desert capital. Immediate figures on the number of people affected were not available from the government.

Ngarmbatina Carmelle Sou IV, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, said the government would do its utmost for the people affected. "What I have seen is disturbing to me," the minister said. "It is within our mandate to give support. We must get to work to offer assistance to our brothers and sisters."

Some of the worst flooding occurred in the Amriguebe suburb of N'djamena where residents say rudimentary drainage was never installed. "We are waiting for help from the Chadian government. Fortunately we had already evacuated our women and children," said one Amriguebe resident on 6 August.

Carnekke Sou IV warned waterborne diseases and cholera were already surging in the city, and that cases of malaria are expected to rise. Precise statistics are also unavailable on the health effects, but staff at the N'djamena central hospital said they had received an unusually high number of patients and wards were already crowded with people suffering from severe diarrhea and dehydration and malaria.

Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno has also visited some of the flooded parts of the capital and pledged the government will do more to dig drainage canals.

The Chadian national meteorological agency has stated in a communication that Chad risks "serious flooding" this year. According to the agency, climate and rainfall in the region is cyclical. Major floods were last recorded in Chad in 1988 and 1998.

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