Flooding started in Plateau State in central Nigeria in July, spread through Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Katsina and Kebbi states in August, hit Taraba Benue, Niger, Kaduna and Kano in September, before affecting Delta and Bayelsa states in September and October. The Benue and Niger Rivers converge in southern Nigeria, and from there the Niger flows south toward the sea.
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| The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images of the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers on October 20, 2008 (left) and October 13, 2012 (right) (NASA images courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott) |
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 431 fatalities have been reported and many more are considered missing. 2.1 million others were displaced. Floods caused major damage to crops, livestock and infrastructure, destroying roads and bridges. According to Emenike Umesi, NEMA’s zonal coordinator in Port Harcourt, thousands of houses, health clinics and hospitals, as well as dozens of schools, churches and government buildings have been destroyed or damaged in Delta State. Many displaced residents are wondering why the government has not done more to prevent flooding which occurs every year during the August to October rainy season in these low-lying areas. Flash floods are common in Nigeria in the rainy season (May to September), but news reports characterized this year’s floods as the worst in more than 40 years. Rainy season is not over yet and more flooding is expected.
John Campbell, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria wrote that the United Nations and other organizations have “sounded the alarm” at the approach of similarly large-scale humanitarian crises in the region, accusing Western media for entirely ignoring the problem according to VOA.
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