Centralnigeria in mourning: over 150 deaths through devastating floods

Centralnigeria in mourning: over 150 deaths through devastating floods

Mokwa, Niger, Nigeria - In Centralnigeria, a severe flood disaster has caused devastating consequences. At least 151 people had to let their lives, and numerous more are considered missing. The municipality of Mokwa in the state of Niger is particularly affected, where the water masses broke out late Wednesday evening and continued until Thursday. Over 3,018 people had to leave their apartments and 265 houses were completely destroyed. The civil protection authority of the state (NSEMA) confirms the dead, but the actual number could be far higher, since many corpses were only discovered downstream. President Bola Tinubu has spoken out his condolences to the relatives of the victims and assured support in the search and rescue measures. Aid goods and emergency accommodations should be provided immediately to help those affected. newspaper of the work reports that the exact cause of the floods is unclear, while some profits suspect a dam.

The Situation is tense because meteorologists warn of further rain in the coming days, which significantly increases the risk of renewed floods. Nigeria often suffers from floods during the rainy season (from April to October). However, the frequency and intensity of such events increase - a fact that experts attribute to climate change, uncontrolled construction activity and poor drainage infrastructure. Last year over 1,200 people died in Nigeria through similar flood events, and up to two million were expelled.

The effects on the population

The number of people affected by the flood is alarming. According to reports, tens of thousands were forced to flee safely. In the state of Kogi, two large rivers came across the banks, which led to the division of more than 60,000 hectares of land. These floods affect more than a million people who live in the densely populated regions, including the capital Lokoja. Entry centers have already been overcrowded and the first floods were reported less than a month ago. While no deaths from Kogi have so far been reported, the situation is coming to a head, since the flood water continues to worsen the nutritional situation. Zeit reported that around 115,000 hectares of farm were flooded by the beginning of September.

global dimension and auxiliary claims

The flood disasters in Nigeria are part of a major problem that affects all of West Africa. Over 4 million people in this region have already suffered from the consequences of floods, which in particular attributed climate change as the cause. The UN-NOTHILFEAGENT OCHA has released alarming figures: Around 600,000 people in Nigeria are affected, while in the neighboring countries such as the Chad and Niger, the number of those affected continues to increase. Tagesschau mentioned that the situation is so dramatic that humanitarian aid is made available in the form of funds.

The national civil protection authority urgently demands consistent construction bans in flood areas. Maintaining the freedom of river courses and drainage channels is essential to prevent future disasters. This year alone, up to 118 million people in Africa could be affected by extreme weather - a fact that underlines the urgency of these measures. A look at the current challenges clearly shows that there is a huge pressure to act on the governments in order to provide immediate help for those affected and to find long -term solutions.