Nigeria: No less than 170 killed in weeks of flooding

Abuja, Nigeria
CNN
 — 

No less than 170 individuals have died and greater than 200,000 others are displaced following weeks of flooding in Africa’s most populous nation, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s catastrophe administration company instructed CNN Tuesday.

Northern Nigeria has been hit hardest by the floods, in accordance with Manzo Ezekiel, who speaks for the Nationwide Emergency Administration Authority (NEMA). Different elements of the nation nevertheless stay in danger, he added, amid torrential rains and the rising water ranges of its two largest rivers — the Niger and the Benue.

“The sample of flooding in Nigeria is such that it normally occurs on the northern aspect earlier than transferring to the central and the southern elements… as a result of the water flows downwards,” Ezekiel mentioned. “Within the coming days, the central elements will quickly witness comparable floods, and even downwards to the southern elements.”

Though elements of Nigeria are liable to floods through the wet season, Ezekiel mentioned this yr’s flooding has been reported in areas the place it had beforehand been uncommon.

“The scenario is such that some locations that have been not beforehand recognized to be liable to floods are experiencing floods this time due to local weather change,” he instructed CNN.

Environmentalists partly blame the nation’s annual floods on poor drainage infrastructure.

Greater than 600 people were killed in floods throughout the nation in 2022, the worst recorded within the West African nation in additional than a decade.

Authorities attributed that flooding to above-average rainfall and the overflowing of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon.

Final week, the Nigeria Hydrological Providers Company (NIHSA) warned that flood waters from neighboring Niger and Mali have been “expected to move gradually into Nigeria” whereas urging states situated alongside the River Niger to be on alert.

The nation’s meteorological company NIMET has additionally warned of the chance of flash floodsacross the nation.

The current flooding has injured practically 2,000 individuals and destroyed greater than 100,000 hectares of farmland, in accordance with the most recent information from the catastrophe administration company shared with CNN.