N-HYPPADEC seeks declaration of emergency to control flood
• IRC launches emergency response for flood victims in Northern states
The Managing Director of National-Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in flood control and related vices as more communities risk being washed away. This is after over 200 lives have been lost to flooding, which has affected 28 out of 36 states and left over 208,000 people displaced.
The N-HYPPADEC boss, while briefing journalists yesterday in Minna, on the recent flooding, which claimed lives and property worth millions of naira in some riverine communities in Niger State, said the level of devastation caused by this year’s flooding demands the declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency.
While calling for a holistic approach to tackling issues of flooding, Yelwa said: “It is important to note that 80 per cent of the worst hit states are N-HYPPADEC member states as a result of their location and electricity generation activities.
“Preliminary reports from our officers revealed that in Benue State so far, 634 communities have been affected with nearly 30,000 farmlands washed away. In Kebbi State, 6,959 households have been affected with about 10,000 farmlands washed away. The situation is similar in Gombe, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kaduna states.”
Yelwa regretted that the flooding menace if not controlled could hamper the government’s food security, adding however that with proper articulation, flooding can be a blessing in disguise if the relevant authorities acted wisely and timely as irrigation outlets along corridors and fishing can be harnessed.
MEANWHILE, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has launched an emergency response to provide immediate relief to the most affected households across the north-eastern states of Adamawa and Borno.
Recent floods have impacted over 515,794 people, 205,338 people displaced, 170 lives lost, and significant damage to 76,667 houses and over 106,089 hectares of farmlands as heavy rains continue to affect communities across the country.
Specifically in Borno, the IRC is preparing to provide immediate relief through multipurpose cash assistance to 600 of the most affected households to enable affected families to meet their immediate needs, including shelter, food, and other essentials, as they recover from the disaster.
The IRC said it would monitor the situation closely and adapt its response to meet the evolving needs of populations in flood-affected locations across Nigeria, including Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara where the IRC operates.
In Adamawa State, the IRC has triggered its anticipatory action program with the provision of cash assistance to communities along the Benue River to mitigate the impact of the release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
Also, in addition to cash assistance, the IRC is addressing the urgent need for improved sanitation and access to clean water, as the flooding has led to a significant increase in waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and malaria.
The conditions are ripe for the spread of other communicable diseases like cholera. IRC Nigeria Country Director, Babatunde Ojei, said: “The frequent occurrence of this flooding is unprecedented; it now happens annually, and the impact on communities is severe. We are deeply concerned about the long-term impact of this disaster on vulnerable populations, particularly in high-risk areas where continued rains are expected to worsen the situation.”
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