The National Emergency Management Agency, South West Zonal Office, has said that severe flooding in Osun and Oyo States has left numerous indigenes homeless and in need of immediate assistance.

NEMA, in collaboration with the Osun State Emergency Management Agency, conducted an assessment of the flood and rainstorm disasters that affected communities in Osun and Oyo states in October.

NEMA disclosed in a tweet on Wednesday on their official social media handle.

The Assistant Zonal Coordinator of the South West Zone, Mr. Olanrewaju Kazeem, who led the NEMA assessment team, said 13 communities in the Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun were badly affected by flooding.

According to him, approximately 1,200 individuals across the 13 communities were affected, and the flooding also caused significant damage to public infrastructure.

He said many households were left homeless and require urgent assistance.

On the joint assessment in Oyo, Kazeem said flooding and rainstorms impacted 17 communities on October 11, 2023.

According to him, the flooding in Oyo can be attributed to the overflow of the Omi River, which flows through the affected communities, and this issue worsened during torrential rainfall.

Kazeem said, “In the course of assessment, it was observed that the cause of flood disaster in that area is a result of an overflow of the Omi river that passes through those communities. The team was made to understand that the incidence has become a recurrent issue especially when there is torrential rainfall. Communities were seriously affected by the flood, properties were damaged, means of livelihood were destroyed at the market, and farmland such as fish ponds was washed away.

“The joint assessment in both Osun and Oyo States highlights the need for immediate relief support and the implementation of long-term strategies to address the recurring challenges associated with flood-related disasters in the region.”