The National Orientation Agency, NOA says six hundred lives have been lost, two thousand four hundred persons injured, while over two million people are affected in one way or the other due to flooding.
The Director-General of the Agency, Dr Garba Abari, stated this in Abuja while addressing newsmen on the state of flooding in Nigeria.
Dr Abari described the flood situation across the country as a national emergency and the worst humanitarian crisis in the nation’s history.
He called for humanitarian assistance from well-meaning Nigerians and other relevant organizations, to ameliorate the plight of people affected by flooding across the country.
‘’Reports by NEMA indicate that over 600 lives have been lost; over 2400 persons injured; about 1,302,589 persons have been displaced; over 2.5 million persons have been affected, one way or another; about 332,327 hectares of farmlands have been totally destroyed; 82,052 houses partially damaged; 121,318 houses totally destroyed beyond repair; and property worth several hundred millions damaged in what is, arguably, the worst flooding and humanitarian crisis we have experienced in our recent history’’.Dr Abari noted.
The NOA Director-General said the effect of the flooding has stretched the finances and contingency plans of all the states affected, hence the need for other source of interventions.
Dr Abari said he was worried about the predictions that Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa states were still at risk of experiencing more floods till the end of November, 2022.
He called on local government and community leaders to provide social safety assistance, counselling and psycho-social support for those whose livelihood were destroyed by flood.
RN
