No fewer than 259 people have lost their lives, with a staggering 1,048,312 individuals affected, following severe floods that have ravaged 29 states across the country.
During a National Emergency Coordination Forum in Abuja, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, confirmed that 29 states and 172 local government areas have been hit by the floods, which have displaced 625,239 people and resulted in the tragic loss of 259 lives.
“Flooding has wreaked havoc across the country, with some regions suffering severe devastation. For instance, emergency workers are currently conducting search and rescue operations in Borno State,” Mrs. Umar revealed.
She further highlighted that flood predictions for the year had been issued to stakeholders by NEMA and other agencies. “While we cannot entirely prevent flooding, significant efforts have been made to mitigate its impact.”
The statistics speak volumes: over 1 million people have been affected, 259 dead, 625,239 displaced, and 2,390 injured. In addition, 125,800 hectares of land and 94,491 homes have been ravaged by the disaster.
Mrs. Umar assured that the federal government, through NEMA, would provide the necessary aid to those affected, particularly in Maiduguri and other states. “Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been activated in some areas, with additional personnel and resources deployed to assist in rescue operations, including water purification equipment, food, and non-food supplies,” she said.
She emphasised that the government’s response efforts include providing medical aid, evacuating people at risk, and supporting the Naval Disaster Response Units. “Despite the scale of the disaster, the situation remains manageable for the Nigerian government, although international partners are encouraged to maintain their support.”
Updating on the flood situation in Maiduguri, NEMA’s Assistant Director of Search & Rescue, Mrs. Wagami Lydia Madu, reported that 37 people have died since the flood began last Friday. She noted that 10 IDP camps have been set up in Maiduguri, with thousands of people affected across multiple areas.
In a related development, Mr. Trond Jenson, Head of UNOCHA in Nigeria, disclosed that approximately $6 million has been allocated for flood response in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. Efforts are underway to provide shelter, clean water, and medical aid to the displaced, while preparing for potential flooding in Adamawa in the coming weeks.
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