Abuja — Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency is warning that fatalities caused by severe flooding in the country will increase in September and October – the usual peak period for rainfall. The floods have already killed more than 170 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more in Nigeria this year.

According to the latest tally on the National Emergency Management Agency tracker, some 170 people have died and some 205,000 displaced by flooding in 28 out of Nigeria’s 36 states.

Bauchi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, and Jigawa states are the most impacted.

The flooding has been caused by unprecedented rainfall and the rising Niger and Benue rivers. And officials worry more bad weather may be ahead.

Ezekiel Manzo is the NEMA spokesperson. He spoke to VOA via phone. 

“We are presently responding to a number of locations where flooding has occurred. The situation is not ending because we are just approaching the peak of the (rainy) season. The incidents we’re having are mostly in the northern part of the country [and] from the reports available to us, River Benue is rising, River Niger is also rising. And once the water level is high there it will ultimately flow into our country, so we’re expecting large volume of water coming from Niger,” he said.

The floods have also washed away thousands of hectares of farmlands, compounding an already dire food security situation caused by widespread insecurity.

Manzo said authorities have been advising and helping to evacuate locals in flood-prone plains as well as providing relief for hundreds of thousands already impacted.

“We are conducting assessments, we are increasing our awareness to sensitize the people to move immediately from the flood plains to avoid being washed away by the waters. The situation is still that of a threat and people need to be aware and move out of the danger zone,” he said.

The Nigerian government estimates 31 states will experience severe flooding this year.

In Jigawa – one of the most impacted states – authorities have been building embankments to reduce the impact of the flooding.

State Governor Umar Namadi told Al-Jazeera that the disaster is diverting crucial government funds.

“A lot of attention is being diverted to that area because you will need to save that situation. So, because of that, of course a lot of government revenue will be lost. Not only that a lot of extra expenditure will have to be incurred,” said Namadi.

In 2022, Nigeria recorded its worst flooding in a decade. The deluge killed more than 600 people and destroyed swathes of cultivated lands. 

Last week, the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises named Nigeria second among nations with the highest number of hungry people.

Nigeria’s minister of state for agriculture said up to 51 percent of farming areas are susceptible to flooding this year.

Manzo said Nigerian authorities will compensate the farmers – but that in the meantime, it is paramount for everyone to get to safety.
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