The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has stated that 1,048,312 individuals have been affected by flood in Nigeria between April and September 2024.
Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, presented this report to the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) in Abuja on Thursday, indicating that the tragedy had displaced 625,239 people and claimed 259 lives.
She sympathised with those impacted and promised them that the Federal Government, through NEMA, would offer the required assistance.
She also emphasized the need for a coordinated response, activating Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deploying additional staff for search and rescue operations.
Her words: “NEMA has activated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deployed additional staff to support search and rescue operations.
“The agency has also provided water purification equipment and critical search and rescue tools to affected states,” he said.
According to her, the Nigerian government is not yet overwhelmed by the situation.
Emmanuela Offiong, Assistant Director of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, also stressed the need for proper fact-checking and communication on disaster management to avoid disinformation and misinformation.
This was after seven deaths was reported in Borno and challenges in Maiduguri due to inadequate serving materials and wash facilities by the Assistant Director, Search and Rescue, Wagami Madu.
Mrs Umar further appreciated the support of international partners and encouraged them to continue providing assistance while monitoring the situation.
Written by Cheta Enyoghasi
