The ministry of humanitarian affairs has said that the death toll from the worst flooding Nigeria has seen in a decade has passed 600 people.
In a tweet this week, the ministry also said that more than 2 million people have been affected by flooding that has spread across parts of the country’s south after a particularly wet rainy season. More than 200,000 homes have been completely or partially damaged, the ministry added.
Recall that the National Emergency Management Agency warned of catastrophic flooding for states located along the courses of the Niger and Benue rivers, noting that three of Nigeria’s overfilled reservoirs were expected to overflow.
Read also: Nigerian govt says Lagbo Dam not responsible for devastating flooding in Nigeria
The agency said the release of excess water from a dam in neighbouring Cameroon had contributed to the flooding. It noted that while many parts of Nigeria are prone to yearly floods, flooding in certain areas has been more severe than the last major floods in 2012.
In the tweet, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq warned that more flooding was likely and urged regional governments to prepare accordingly.
“We are calling on the respective State Governments, Local Government Councils and Communities to prepare for more flooding by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water as well as medical supplies for a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases,” she said.
The ministry said that the country will soon implement its National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, aimed at improving coordination of the flood response efforts.
It said that relief has gone to every state of the federation,” and “many state governments did not prepare for the floods, adding that its delegation will be visiting state governors across the country to suggest strengthening states’ flood response mechanisms.
Story was adapted from CNBC.
