Weeks of relentless flooding in Nigeria have claimed nearly 200 lives and displaced over 200,000 individuals. The National Emergency Management Agency shared on Friday that the deluge has impacted 28 of Nigeria's 36 states; efforts are now underway to move thousands to makeshift shelters.
Historically, Nigeria faces annual flooding due to non-compliance with environmental norms and inadequate infrastructure. The 2022 floods were among the worst in a decade, killing over 600 people and displacing more than a million. This year, however, the flooding is not due to excessive rainfall but is largely attributed to human actions. "What we are doing is causing this climate change so there is a shift from the normal," said Ibrahim Wasiu Adeniyi of the central forecasting unit. "We have some who dump refuse indiscriminately, some build houses without approvals along the waterways."
The flooding has ravaged 107,000 hectares of farmland, particularly in northern states, exacerbating food insecurity. Authorities warn that the situation might worsen as floodwaters potentially impact central and southern regions soon. "People need to evacuate now … because we don't have time any longer," urged Manzo Ezekiel, a spokesperson for the disaster response agency. The impact on agriculture has been severe, depriving many farmers of their livelihood and amplifying the country's food crisis where 32 million face acute hunger.
story continues below
Word count: 246 (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
