FLOODING IN NIGERIA (VIDEOS)

Anambra, Kogi, Bayelsa are “among 33 of 36 Nigerian states grappling with the devastation of the country’s worst flooding in a decade. More than 600 lives have been lost in floods across the West African country, its government says, and almost 1.5 million people have been displaced, according to the country’s humanitarian ministry. Almost one in 10 Nigerian residents experienced flooding so far in October. Nearly half of the population has been affected in Kogi state, where Nigeria’s two largest rivers — the Niger and the Benue — meet, as well as nearly 40% in neighboring Anambra state. In northern Nigeria, a flood around the Yobe River affected more than a quarter of the population in Yobe state.”

“Humanitarian agencies fear the floods will contribute to a health disaster and Nigeria has already seen a rise in cholera infections as floods ravage many parts of the country. According to UNICEF, “more than 2.5 million people in Nigeria are in need of humanitarian assistance – 60 per cent of which are children – and are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding in the past decade.” A rise in cholera infections could be devastating for the country as the World Health Organization warns of a “strained global supply of cholera vaccines.” Bayelsa and 30 other Nigerian states have reported thousands of suspected cholera cases, the country’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a recent report.”