WorldStage Newsonline– The United Nations (UN) has reported that no fewer than 414,000 people have been displaced by the devastating flood in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Tuesday.
Similarly, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that 1,048,312 people have been affected by flooding in Nigeria between April and September 2024.
Ms Ann Weru, Head of Public Information, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Abuja, stated in a Media Advisory that the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall will address the media on the issue.
She said that the data was collected by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as of 11 September 2024.
“NEMA’s records also show that 37 people died, and about 58 people sustained injuries,” she said.
Access to hospitals, schools and markets, she added has been hampered.
“Damage to infrastructure, including bridges, were recorded.
“Evacuation of people in high-risk areas to safer ground is ongoing, amid concerns about the risk of disease outbreaks,” she said.
She said that Mr Mohamed Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, will visit areas impacted by the flooding in Maiduguri and meet with affected people, local authorities and humanitarian partners.
Government officials, humanitarian partners, representatives of UN agencies and donors, she said, will join Fall at a news conference later in the day.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar said at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) in Abuja on Thursday that 625,239 persons had been displaced and 259 lives lost to the disaster.
She commiserated with those affected and assured them that the Federal Government, through NEMA, would provide necessary support.
She said the main reason for convening the meeting was to receive updates on the flood situation and assign roles and responsibilities to stakeholders.
Umar noted that although flooding could not be totally prevented, efforts were being made to mitigate its impact.
According to the D-G, 29 states and 172 local government areas have been hit by flooding, affecting 1,048,312 people, displacing 625,239, and resulting in 259 deaths. She emphasised the need for a coordinated response to the disaster.
“NEMA has activated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deployed additional staff to support search and rescue operations.
“The agency has also provided water purification equipment and critical search and rescue tools to affected states.”
Umar appreciated the support of international partners and encouraged them to continue providing assistance while monitoring the situation.
She noted that the situation was not yet overwhelming for the Nigerian government to cope with.
The Assistant Director, Search and Rescue, Wagami Madu, presented an update on the flood, reporting seven deaths in Borno as of Saturday.
Madu also mentioned challenges in Maiduguri, including inadequate serving materials and wash facilities due to the high number of people in the camp.
Mrs Emmanuela Offiong, Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, stressed the need for proper fact-checking and communication on disaster management to avoid disinformation and misinformation.
