Publisher's Synopsis
As local authorities scramble to save hundreds of thousands of people being evacuated from their waterlogged homes, the death toll from this year's floods in Nigeria has grown to 603. According to the humanitarian affairs ministry, more than 1.3 million people have been homeless due to the crisis, which has touched 33 of Nigeria's 36 states.
There are now more concerns about disruptions to the food supply because at least 3,400 sq km (1,300 sq miles) of land have been flooded. Nigeria's northwest and central areas, which provide the bulk of the nation's food, are already endangered by conflict. This year's floods are the worst in more than ten years, especially in its coastal regions. According to the authorities, the calamity was caused by unexpected rains and the discharge of extra water from the nearby Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
In Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state in southern Nigeria, Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris said that residents are rushing to the city to receive assistance from the authorities. According to Idris, the bad news is that rain is anticipated to continue falling for the upcoming days after pouring down for the previous three days. He stated, "The water levels are rising to a worrying level. "The force of the water's flow has likewise grown more ferocious. Continued flooding from upstream is coming this way. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, the flooding has worsened a humanitarian catastrophe in Nigeria, where violence has forced more than three million people from their homes, particularly in the turbulent northern region.
