The death toll from floods across Nigeria this year has increased to 603 according to the federal government, worsening, fears of food supply disruptions and epidemics.
Floods caused by abundant rains and poor infrastructure have affected vast swathes of areas across 27 of Nigeria’s 36 states, sparking fears they could worsen food insecurity and inflation. More than 2,504,095 Nigerians have been affected by the disaster while 332,327 hectares of farmlands and 82,053 houses have been damaged, the humanitarian affairs ministry said on Sunday.
President Muhammadu Buhari directed “all concerned to work for the restoration of normalcy”, according to a statement by his spokesman.
Nigeria experiences annual flooding, especially in its coastal areas, but this year’s floods are the worst in more than a decade. Authorities blame the disaster on releasing excess water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon and unusual rainfalls.
The Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq said the federal government is deeply saddened by the devastating situation of the floods, blaming the states and communities for not paying adequate attention to early warnings.
Nigeria’s economy has been battered in the past year, with inflation at an all-time high and many communities struggling to cope. The World Food Programme and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said last month that Nigeria was among six countries facing a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.
The United Nations has said that the effects of climate change are stark in Nigeria and the country lies at risk of frequent and intense flooding. In 2012, rivers burst their banks and submerged vast lands in 30 states, killing over 400 people and displacing 1.3 million others. According to the UN, in 2019 more than 200,000 people were affected by floods and 158 were killed.
