Thousands made homeless by flooding in Benin

Hundreds of thousands of people have been made homeless by flooding which hit West Africa during its annual rainy season.

The worst affected country is Benin where more than 50 people have been killed and over 150,000 homes have been damaged or lost.

Farm land and schools have also been badly damaged. The UN estimates that 680,000 people have been affected by the worst floods Benin has seen in decades.

Benin’s government declared a national emergency and has asked for international aid to help the rapidly emerging crisis.

Through the West Africa Humanitarian Response Fund, the British Department for International Development (DFID) is funding partners such as CARE International to help provide fresh clean drinking water, urgently needed shelter, mosquito nets and food to those that badly need it.

Click here or on the image to see DFID's photo diary from the front line