School year in Niger postponed until Oct. 28 due to rainfall

NIAMEY, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) — During a council of ministers meeting held Thursday, the Nigerien government decided to postpone the school year to Oct. 28 from the initially scheduled date of Oct. 2 due to adverse weather conditions in the country.
According to an official statement, preparations for the 2024-2025 school year revealed that several schools have been affected by flooding, while others are currently occupied by displaced persons.
As for the damage caused by the torrential rains that have impacted Niger since the onset of the season in May, the death toll as of Sept. 4 was reported at 273 victims and 710,767 displaced persons, according to the General Directorate of Civil Protection in Niamey.
To respond to this emergency situation, the Nigerien government distributed more than 9,742 tons of cereals until Sept. 17 to the affected regions, aiming to assist approximately 842,300 in about 112,400 households impacted by the floods. ■