Nigeria’s Flood Victims Need $200m to Recover
The devastating flooding in Nigeria’s Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states has left over one million people displaced, with tens of thousands of families without shelter, food, water, or access to healthcare. According to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, the humanitarian impact of the disaster requires an estimated $200 million to tackle.
Kalu made the call during a special session of the 12th Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments at the Pan-African Parliament of the African Union (AU) in Midrand, South Africa. He emphasized that the tragedy has greatly affected the economy and infrastructure of the states and the country as a whole.
The Deputy Speaker urged the African Union and other international organizations to assist Nigeria in solving the humanitarian crisis. "The estimated cost of the humanitarian response for this flood impact is about $200 million. This is needed to be able to bring the place back to shape," Kalu said.
Kalu highlighted the severe impact of climate change on Nigeria, stating that the country has witnessed devastating flooding in recent months. "Nigeria recently witnessed climate change-induced flooding that affected Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. This humanitarian crisis has dealt a heavy blow on our infrastructure and our economy."
The consequences of climate change, according to Kalu, include job losses, poor agricultural yields, and infrastructure destruction. "One of the consequences of climate change is job losses, in addition to the agricultural losses. This has crippled local businesses within these areas. There is also infrastructure destruction including key roads and bridges. Impact on education is huge because most of the centres are being used as Internally Displaced centres to house displaced people."
The humanitarian crisis has also affected the education sector, with many schools being used as temporary shelters for displaced people. The situation is dire, and urgent assistance is needed to support the affected communities.
