Devastating floods have struck Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, resulting in at least 30 deaths and displacing over 400,000 households.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the dire situation on Wednesday. NEMA spokesman Ezekiel
Manzo stated, “The death toll is 30.”
His colleague, Zubaida Umar, described the severity of the disaster: “The situation in Maiduguri is quite frightening. The flood has taken over around 40 percent of the entire city. People have been forced out of their homes and are scattered everywhere.”
Umar added, “From our statistics, we have 414,000 displaced people.” He expressed concerns to the BBC’s Hausa language service that this number could potentially reach one million.
The UN refugee agency in Nigeria reported on social media that this flooding is the worst to hit Maiduguri in three decades.
The crisis originated from the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers south of Maiduguri. NEMA reported that over 23,000 households, comprising more than 150,000 individuals, have been affected by the rapidly rising waters.
Umar detailed the agency’s response: “We have also sent our mobile clinics with medical supplies, along with medical doctors from the military hospital, to attend to the displaced in the camps who need medical care. This is important because the main hospital in Maiduguri has also been affected by the flood.”
She added, “We have provided canoes and fishermen who have been going into flooded communities and rescuing residents who are trapped. We have deployed our water trucks to provide clean water because we are concerned about the possible outbreak of water-borne diseases.”
Aisha Aliyu, a resident who reached one of NEMA’s eight displacement camps, expressed her distress: “I never pray for even my enemy to experience such a thing.” Another resident, Maryam Musa, shared her plight: “I have nowhere to go. I haven’t seen any of them, even my siblings, both young and old, and I can’t reach them on the phone. We are appealing to the governor to help us.”
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, after visiting a displacement camp, announced plans to provide each affected household with 10,000 naira (approximately $6) and distribute food and non-food aid.
He also emphasized the need to rebuild and strengthen the dam. Vice President Kashim Shettima, a Maiduguri native, visited the affected area on Tuesday. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered his condolences to those impacted by the disaster.
NEMA reports that since the beginning of the rainy season, floods have claimed 229 lives and forced over 380,000 people to evacuate across Nigeria.
Additionally, at least 107,600 hectares of farmland have been damaged by the torrential rains.
AFP
