flood

About two million people are still displaced days after devastating floods struck Nigeria’s northeast Maiduguri city, an official said on Friday.  Babagana Zulum, governor of northeastern Borno State, said victims of the Sept.10-11 massive floods are still in displaced persons camps established by the government in the wake of the disaster. “Most of our people are still displaced and many infrastructure damaged by the flood,” Zulum told officials at a Nigerian bank, which donated N1 billion (about $600 million) to help rehabilitate infrastructure destroyed by the floods and resettle victims. Zulum promised all the donations into the relief basket account would be used for affected persons and not diverted by officials. Thousands of people have been taking refuge in open places, religious centers, and 32 displaced persons camps, including public schools, since the severe floods killed at least 40 people. Local authorities have commenced distribution of money, food, and nonfood items to displaced persons in camps and a few people taking refuge in safer areas. Bulana Abiso, head of the coalition for civil society organizations, told Anadolu that economic activities are yet to return to the city days after the incident. Abiso said most victims are still in shock and struggling to overcome the trauma of their losses and displacement caused by the disaster. Institutions and individuals, including Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, donated money to support victims.

Severe flooding in northeastern Nigeria has resulted in 30 deaths and affected over a million people, authorities reported on Wednesday. The disaster was triggered by the collapse of a major dam in Borno State on Tuesday, marking some of the worst flooding the region has seen since a similar incident 30 years ago. The dam had reached full capacity due to unusually heavy rainfall. Many residents have been forced to evacuate their homes. This latest flood comes nearly two years after Nigeria experienced its worst flooding in a decade, which claimed more than 600 lives nationwide. According to state police spokesperson Nahum Daso, about 15% of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, is submerged. Ezekiel Manzo, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the death toll of 30 on Wednesday. An aide to the Borno governor stated that approximately one million people have been affected so far, with that number potentially rising to up to two million as efforts to account for displaced individuals continue. This surge in displacement coincides with some of the worst flooding West Africa has seen in decades, with over 2.3 million people affected across the region this year, a threefold increase from last year, according to the UN. A new report reveals that African nations are losing up to 5% of their GDP annually due to the impact of climate change, which has intensified in one of the continent’s hottest years on record. The World Meteorological Organization notes that many African countries are allocating up to 9% of their budgets to climate adaptation efforts. The governor’s aide emphasized that rescue operations are ongoing and that displaced people are currently seeking refuge at a former refugee camp outside the flooded areas.