Nairobi, Oct 17, (dpa/GNA) – The death toll in Nigerian floods has risen to more than 600, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq said on Sunday evening.
Approximately 1.3 million people have been forced to evacuate their homes and 2,400 have been injured in the last week, Farouq said. A total of 200,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged by flooding.
Africa’s most populous country, with around 200 million inhabitants, has been experiencing heavy rainfall for weeks. The Niger River and its largest tributary, the Benue, are carrying increasing amounts of water as a result.
Nigeria’s northern regions of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa are especially threatened by the floods.
Farouq warned that the situation is likely to worsen. “The flood risk in the affected regions will not decrease until the end of November.”
Across the country, 450,000 hectares of farmland have already been devastated.
Last week, Nigeria opened its flood reserve, to ensure supplies for the public.
Authorities also fear water contamination caused by flooding, may facilitate the spread of disease.
GNA