Flooding: UN agencies, development partners visit Maiduguri, donate $6m for victims

Representatives of the United Nations (UN) agencies and development partners in Nigeria have visited Maiduguri, Borno’s capital, amid the devastating flooding that has claimed lives and destroyed properties in the state.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has pegged the death toll from the disaster at over 30 while more than 400,000 residents have been displaced.

The flood occurred due to the collapse of the Alau Dam, which has been at full capacity for the past few weeks.

The Borno state government has opened emergency internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and shelters for victims across the state.

Led by Mohamed Fall, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, the development officials, including representatives of the Nigeria Red Cross Society (NRCS), visited Maiduguri on Saturday to mobilise resources to mitigate the impact of the disaster.

During the visit, they met with Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, to express condolences and solidarity with the government and the people of the state.

“I witnessed firsthand the devastation and untold hardship caused by the flooding, including the destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. I also saw the suffering of affected communities,” a UN-issued statement quoted Fall as saying.

“The flood-affected people are experiencing a crisis within a crisis, with the floods occurring at the height of a severe food insecurity and malnutrition crisis.”

Fall said the UN is collaborating with partners to provide hot meals, food air drops in hard-to-reach areas cut off by flood waters, trucking water, and water and sanitation hygiene services, as well as water purification tablets to stem outbreaks of diseases, such as acute watery diarrhea and cholera.

“This in addition to providing hygiene/dignity kits for women and girls, as well as emergency health and shelter services, among other lifesaving interventions,” he said.

Fall announced the donation of $6 million from the Nigerian humanitarian fund for the victims of the disaster.

The UN chief said additional funds are required urgently to save lives.

Seeking contributions, the UN said only about 46 percent of the $927 million humanitarian response plan (HRP) for Nigeria is funded.

Responding, Zulum thanked the UN and NGO partners for their interventions.

“Our priority is to rebuild the lives of affected people and to ensure that the displaced population does not stay for more than two weeks in the temporary shelters provided for them,” the governor said.