This special edition of the weekly update spotlights natural disasters in Nigeria with a focus on flooding in the Niger Delta. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that about 30 states in Nigeria are currently affected by severe flooding. According to NEMA, over 500 persons have been killed, more than 790,000 others displaced, over 45,000 houses damaged, and about 70,000 hectares of farmland destroyed by severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall and the release of excess water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon. In the Niger Delta, many coastal and riverine communities are predisposed to recurrent flooding because of low topography. According to data (see map above), flooding caused over 70 fatalities in the Niger Delta between January 2018 and June 2022. The recent flood has reportedly caused over 15 deaths and displaced about 100 communities in the region. As of October 12, 2022, for instance, flooding have reportedly killed four persons and displaced over 3,200 households in Delta State. Several communities were reportedly submerged in Bayelsa, Edo, Imo, and Rivers States.

Source: http//pindfoundation.org