More than 600 people have been killed in flooding in Nigeria since June, making it the deadliest flooding in decades in the West African country.
According to a new government balance sheet, 1.3 million people have already had to flee their homes.
Since the start of the rainy season, heavy rainfall has wrought havoc in many regions of Nigeria with the onset of intense flooding. While at the same time, the impact of food shortages and inflation is further exacerbating the crisis.
"Unfortunately, more than 603 lives have been lost," the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Twitter. That’s a hundred more victims in a week. There are also 2,400 injured in the floods. The number of victims has risen "astronomically" because many states in the federal country were not prepared for such heavy rainfall, the ministry concluded.
More than 82,000 homes and roughly 110,000 hectares of agricultural land, have been destroyed. The rainy season started in June, but the floods have been taking a heavy human toll since August, according to the national disaster management agency.
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A ship accident in the southeastern state of Anambra killed 76 people last week. The ship capsized on the Niger as a result of flooding in the region. A lot of precipitation is expected in Nigeria in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the federal government and other organisations keep a stream of relief supplies running to the affected areas as well as to displaced Nigerians throughout the country.
