The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that as of September 2024, around 800,000 people have been impacted by severe flooding across 29 states in Nigeria. This comes as extreme weather continues to ravage parts of the country, overwhelming local communities and displacing thousands.
In a press statement released on Friday, WFP confirmed that humanitarian operations are already underway in response to the widespread damage. The organization noted, “UN humanitarians are moving swiftly to support newly displaced people in northeast Nigeria after torrential rainfall caused a dam to collapse, triggering devastating floods.”
The statement further highlighted the growing crisis, stating that “approximately 800,000 people in 29 states have been affected by the floods as of September 2024, and over 550,000 hectares of farmland have been submerged.”
On Tuesday night, the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, collapsed, displacing thousands as floodwaters engulfed the area. The flooding also led to wild animals, including ostriches, crocodiles, and snakes, escaping from a local zoo and roaming the streets, adding to the chaos.
The WFP revealed that the flooding, which reached levels not seen since 1994, has submerged nearly half of Maiduguri. Authorities have urged residents to evacuate and called for additional humanitarian assistance.
Emmanuel Bigenimana, head of WFP’s office in Maiduguri, conducted an aerial assessment of the damage using a UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopter. He described the situation as “heartbreaking” after witnessing homes, infrastructure, roads, schools, and hospitals submerged.
“Over 200,000 to 300,000 people have been displaced and are currently crowded in several IDP camps or stranded on the streets,” Bigenimana said, adding that recovery efforts will take time and significant resources.
At one of the affected camps, WFP has set up soup kitchens at three locations—Teachers’ Village, Asheikh, and Yerwa—providing hot meals to 50,000 of the most affected individuals, including children, women, and men who have lost their homes.
Although WFP is increasing its efforts alongside local authorities, Bigenimana emphasized the need for more assistance to cope with the ongoing disaster. “This flood is an additional burden to the already existing crises in the region, which has been grappling with the Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade,” he added.
Bigenimana also pointed out that the flood disaster is occurring against the backdrop of food inflation and rising prices, further exacerbating food insecurity in northern Nigeria.
