The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has disclosed that a devastating flood has swept across 27 states in the country, affecting a total of 227,494 persons.
The agency’s report, released on August 15, 2024, reveals the extent of the damage caused by the flood, which has left thousands of people displaced and without access to basic necessities.
In a statement, Head of the Press Unit at NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel, said, NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing necessary support to affected communities.
She said “We are working closely with the State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMAs, to conduct assessments and provide relief items to those affected.”
The agency further added that stakeholders, especially SEMAs and community leaders, are ready to activate, at short notice, plans and preparations for flooding with the increasing incidents in some parts of the country.
The Director General advised farmers not to panic over the temporary dry season being experienced in some states, noting that the situation will soon be over as contained in the seasonal climate predictions release earlier in the year by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet.
“The flood has also caused significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings, with many areas still inaccessible due to the high water levels.
“The timely response by NEMA to the flood incidents is in furtherance to the early preparations made by the Agency, in deployment of search and rescue teams and placement of all NEMA zonal and operation offices on alert. The Agency has also commenced deployment of relief items to complement efforts by the various State Governments to provide succor to persons affected by the floods.
“Furthermore, NEMA shall continue with public sensitization as well as grassroots awareness through advocacies and workshops on solid waste management to raise public consciousness on clearance of blocked drainages and water ways.
“So far based on statistics from the NEMA Emergency Operations Centre established for the flood monitoring and coordination of resource deployment indicates that 27 states have been impacted with a total of 227, 494 persons affected and 32,837 houses damaged as well as 16,488 hectares of farmlands with crops also damaged.”
