Floods Kill 259, displaced 625,239 in 29 states – NEMA

Samson Ayodele

No fewer than 259 persons have been killed in floods inNigeria between April and September 2024, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has disclosed.

NEMA disclosed that 1,048,312 people have been affected by floods in the period under review.

The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, disclosed this at the National Emergency Coordination Forum, ECF, in Abuja on Thursday.

Umar revealed that 625,239 persons had been displaced in the flood disaster.

She sympathized with those affected and assured them that the Federal Government, through NEMA, would provide necessary support.

The NEMA said the main reason for convening the meeting was to receive updates on the flood situation and assign roles and responsibilities to stakeholders.

She explained that although floods could not be totally prevented, efforts were being made to mitigate its impact.

She disclosed that 29 states and 172 local government areas had been hit by flooding.

She said further that the floods affected 1,048,312 people, displacing 625,239 others and resulted in 259 deaths.

“NEMA has activated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deployed additional staff to support search and rescue operations,” she said.

 “The agency has also provided water purification equipment and critical search and rescue tools to affected states.”

Umar appreciated the support of international partners and encouraged them to continue providing assistance while monitoring the situation.