Floods in Nigeria are responsible for the deaths of dozens of people and have swept away entire farmlands. Moreover, torrential rains in neighboring Niger Republic caused two bus crashes on Monday, which resulted in the deaths of at least twenty people. The flooding is most severe in southwest Nigeria.
The flooding has forced thousands to flee from their communities. Moreover, the polluted water sources can increase the risk of malaria, waterborne disease, and respiratory infections. In Lagos, six people have died while another 4,000 have been left homeless. Many residents were forced to part their homes with only the few belongings that they could carry on their heads.
In Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun, more than 400 houses were flooded last week. More than 1,000 people are currently living in temporary shelters at local schools. The state commissioner for health, Abiodun Oduwole, has appealed for donations from world wide organizations.
UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has visited shelters in Abeokuta and has provided some medical relief aids. Such materials include mosquito nets, insecticide, vitamins, antibiotics and anti-malarial medicine.
Citizens plea for the Nigerian government to commence immediate deflooding of all affected areas. Shuaibu Umaru, who lost his house, called on the state government to redesign a bye pass road under construction “and re-channel the river so that the people living around would not be swallowed by the flood”.
For more information, please see:
IRIN – NIGERIA: More death and destruction as floods spread to central region – 07 August 2007
AllAfrica – Nigeria: Flood Wreaks Havoc Across the Country – 06 August 2007
AllAfrica – Nigeria: Floods Leave Thousands Homeless – 06 August 2007
