30,000 displaced as flood sacks 35 communities in Edo

Not less than 35 communities in Etsako East and Etsako central local government areas of Edo have been sacked by flood.

The flood which displaced over 30,000 people, also damaged hundreds of hectares of farmland across the two council areas.

According to NAN, areas mostly affected by the flood are Udaba, Anegbette, Usomegbe, Uduchiz, among others, all in Etsako central local government.

Similarly, the flood also sacked the entire six Uneme clans in south east Uneme, Okpekpe, among others, in Etsako east council area.

Aremiyau Momoh, Etsako east council chairman, and John Akhigbe, his counterpart in Etsako central, were quoted as saying the disaster had gone beyond their respective purviews.

They called for urgent intervention from both the state and the federal governments.

The duo said camps for the internally displaced persons had been placed in strategic locations across the council areas.

Akhigbe said aside the resettlement camp built in the aftermath of a similar disaster in 2012, about five other camps are being prepared for the victims.

Momoh said six camps had been opened in Etsako East for the same purpose.

“We have tried our best as far as the councils are concerned, we are hoping and appealing to the Federal Government to urgently intervene on this matter,” he said.

Benjamin Ikani, clan head of Uzanu, south east Uneme in Estako East, expressed worry over children and stranded pregnant women that can’t get access to ante-natal care.

“The flood started last week. You can see the women and children in my palace. Nobody died in the flood but my people need help,” he said.

“The most pathetic situation is the pregnant women because of lack of healthcare, foodstuff, medicine. The people can no longer harvest their crops.

“I brought 18 persons because all of them have left their villages to stay at Uneme-Yeluwa.”