Categories: metro

Disaster: Heavy Downpour Claims 120 Lives, Displaces 39,500 In Bauchi

ABUJA – The International Or­ganisation for Migra­tion (IOM) in Nigeria said 120 people have died or been injured in Bauchi State due to flooding and other extreme weather conditions in the State between September 1st to 12 September 2022.

According to IOM’s Dis­placement Tracking Matrix (DTM), unprecedented heavy rainfall, in combination with spillage when the Lagdo dam in Northern Cameroon was opened to release excess water, has displaced over 39,500 people in the North East.

The United Nations migra­tion agency, said over 15,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are in immediate need of accommodation.

IOM is providing emergen­cy shelter and other assistance to some of the tens of thou­sands of people affected by ongoing deadly flooding in the North-East of the country.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds have caused serious damage to shelters and infra­structure in camps and other sites for IDPs since the onset of Nigeria’s rainy season in June.

IOM is providing relief items including blankets, kitchen sets, mattresses and floor mats, and will also pro­vide emergency shelter to more than 1,500 internally displaced persons.

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However, IOM said funding remains a major challenge to scaling up the response.

“Due to the extent and na­ture of the floods, if adequate actions are not taken now, the well-being of IDPs will be gravely impacted,” said IOM Nigeria Acting Chief of Mission Prestage Murima, insisting that “Flood-prone communities could face pro­tracted food insecurity if their farmlands are affected.”

Communities across Bor­no, Adamawa, Yobe and other states within the northeast re­gion have been witnessing flash floods since June, which have destroyed farmlands, shelters and sources of livelihood.

In Borno State alone, six camps hosting 15,618 IDPs were destroyed, increasing depen­dence on humanitarian assis­tance; over 8,400 households are in immediate need of shelter.

Some IDPs are living tempo­rarily with relatives in nearby camps and public buildings such as schools and markets.

“This situation has added new challenges and complex­ities for the displaced popu­lations like camp congestion and delays in delivery of basic services,” Murima said.

According to the United Na­tions Office for the Coordina­tion of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s latest Humanitarian Needs Overview, 8.4 million people in the North-East States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe are in need of humanitarian aid in 2022.

The 12-year conflict in the region has spread to areas sur­rounding Lake Chad, causing one of the world’s most severe and complex humanitarian

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