The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said it is on the ground in Borno State providing emergency food assistance to communities affected by massive flooding that has displaced over 230,000 people in North East Nigeria.
In a statement on Thursday, the WFP said it was working to provide hot meals to 50,000 of the worst affected children, women, and men who have lost their homes in what has been described as the worst flooding in North East Nigeria in 30 years.
The devastating floods occurred as Alau Dam near Maiduguri collapsed due to torrential rains, forcing the river water to overrun 50 per cent of Maiduguri, the capital city of the Borno State.
According to the statement, “Maiduguri is facing a crisis within a crisis, with conflict, record food price inflation and now floods displacing hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom were already cut off from their farms,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s Country Director and Representative.
The statement released by Dr. Kelechi Onyemaobi, National Communications Officer for WFP, said the Programme has established food kitchens in three camps – Teachers’ Village, Asheikh, and Yerwa – to provide meals to flood-hit people over the next two weeks.
“The kitchens provide nutritious cooked rice and beans to affected families. Specialized nutritious foods are also being provided to children, pregnant women and nursing mothers to cover their nutritional needs. However, additional assistance will be critical to restore stability and support recovery.
“WFP swiftly dispatched UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopters to conduct an inter-agency aerial assessment of damage in Maiduguri and its surroundings. The rapid assessment showed that the immediate needs of the affected people include food, shelter, and clean water.
“What we have seen from the air is just terrible. Thousands of people are on the streets or staying with friends and relatives. The city has been hit by massive destruction to properties and livelihoods. We need urgent global support to save lives,” Stevenson added.
“In Nigeria, over 800,000 people in 29 states have been affected by floods as of September 2024, and over 550,000 hectares of cropland have been flooded. Some 32 million people in the country are already facing acute hunger, according to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis.
“To ensure continued support to flood-affected people in Maiduguri and other food insecure people in the northeast for the next six months, WFP urgently requires US$147.9 million,” the statement added.