Floods are submerging whole houses in Nigeria. At least 80 have died trying to escape a flood that is in its death throes. So far, 5,000 homes have been flooded, with some people trapped for days.
At least eight people have died trying to escape a flood that is in ‘its death throes’. Five thousand homes have been inundated with water, some homes having been lifted by the current.
The floods were triggered by torrential rains and heavy downpours that hit the area around the weekend, with areas of Niger being hit the worst.
According to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), over 1,800 people have been killed by the floods that have affected over a million. Some 2,350 people were rescued and taken to hospital.
“It is the worst in our history,” says Boubaker Kaba-Gomberu, WFP regional representative for Niger. “It is a disaster. They must have done something to cause this.”
Kaba-Gomberu adds that several hospitals are flooded with hundreds of people waiting to be examined by medical equipment. He adds that most hospitals here have been inundated with affected people.
“The water is too high to cross, it is impossible to go to the upper road because it is too dangerous,” he says. “You have to cross by foot to reach the upper road.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has declared disaster in all 23 local government areas in the country, which has brought relief to the people.
The President has ordered rescue operations to be carried out for people who have fallen victims of the floods.
According to him, the President said the situation is being taken “very seriously” and a team of the military has been deployed at the region.
“We want to send an SOS message to the affected areas,” he added.
As we reported earlier, the country is facing the worst flooding in its history. The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered at least eight people to pay $2,633 for