FG opens IDP camps as flood submerges 70% of maiduguri

-At least 229 deaths
-Displacement of around 386,239 people
-Damage to 94,491 houses, mainly in the northern region
-Affected 125,805 hectares of farmland

September 11, 2024

By Samuel Ogunsona

In the wake of the devastating flood disaster that has ravaged Maiduguri on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Borno State capital, the Federal Government has opened three Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps to accommodate the thousands of residents displaced by the disaster.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 70% of Maiduguri has been submerged by the fast-moving waters, affecting an estimated 560,000 residents.

The flood has also ravaged major city locations, including the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Umar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi, the state secretariat, post office, cemetery, Lagos Area, Bulabulin, Gwange, Monday Market, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and Kofar Shehu.

President Bola Tinubu, who is currently abroad, has called for the immediate evacuation of residents in communities overtaken by floods.

The Nigerian Correctional Service has also recaptured three inmates who escaped during a jailbreak caused by the flood.

According to NEMA spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel, said “Some locations that I personally know and consider to be high ground, from the report we received, are already underwater, including Lagos Street, the market area, the palace of the Shehu of Borno, at least the front of the palace, we can see water there

About 70 per cent of the town is already underwater. So, many people are trapped as the flood intensified when people were sleeping; some people woke up to discover that they were inside water.”

The disaster has also had a devastating impact on the Sanda Kyarimi Park zoo, where 80% of the animals have died.

The state Government is working to relocate displaced residents to the IDP camps, which have been set up to provide shelter and assistance to those affected.

The NEMA spokesperson, Manzo, said the agency could not ascertain the exact number of displaced people but estimated that 70% of the town’s population might have been affected.

The IDP camps will provide much-needed support to those displaced by the flood, but the full extent of the damage is still unknown.

However, Borno State Emergency Management Agency Director-General, Barkindo Muhammad, described the flooding as “terrible” as he found himself trapped while attempting to rescue others. “We were distributing sandbags in Gozari when we became trapped,” he said in a phone interview.

The devastating floods have forced several institutions and government agencies to shut down, including the University of Maiduguri, which remains closed until further notice. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) Nigeria tweeted, “Homes are submerged, schools shut down and businesses crippled as people evacuate with their belongings.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), this year’s floods have resulted in at least 229 deaths, displacement of around 386,239 people and damage to 94,491 houses, mainly in the northern region

The situation remains dire, with thousands more at risk as the floods continue to ravage the region.