The National Emergency Management Agency has reported that severe flooding has impacted 29 states and 172 Local Government Areas across Nigeria.
The disaster has affected 1,048,312 people, displaced 625,239 individuals, and resulted in 259 deaths nationwide.
NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, shared these figures during a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) on Thursday. The forum aimed to review strategies and reassign responsibilities for managing disasters, including ongoing search and rescue operations in Borno State.
Zubaida Umar noted that, except for the severe flooding in Borno State caused by the broken spillway of the Alau Dam, the current trend of flooding aligns with predictions in this year’s Annual Flood Outlook from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.
NIHSA had warned that between July and September 2024, 33 states and 135 Local Government Areas were at high risk of flooding. For the period between October and November 19, additional states and 44 LGAs are expected to be affected.
Speaking about the flooding in Maiduguri, the NEMA DG praised the efforts of Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, the state government, and the Borno State Emergency Management for their prompt response. They have been actively involved in rescue efforts and have set up Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps for those affected.
Umar added that NEMA and other agencies are currently providing aid to the affected states. She said, “Our ongoing intervention across the affected states include deployment of additional personnel to support Search and Rescue operations; distribution of water purification and critical search and rescue equipment; provision of food and non-food items to support the affected persons and the rehabilitation of displaced populations.”
She continued, “Through our agency, NEMA, the Federal Government commiserates with those that have been affected by the flood disaster and assures them that necessary succour will sustainably be provided.”
“We appreciate the support of our humanitarian partners and look forward to the sustained collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to ameliorate the suffering of affected people and also mitigate the impact of the flooding incidents across the country,” Zubaida Umar concluded.
Flooding continues to pose a significant challenge in many parts of Nigeria, and authorities are working hard to provide relief and prevent further loss of life.
