Deadly floods in Nigeria: More than 150 dead and thousands of homeless people!

Deadly floods in Nigeria: More than 150 dead and thousands of homeless people!

In Central-Nigeria, devastating floods, which were triggered by persistent heavy rain, have led to great suffering. The floods of the rural city of Mokwa in the state of Niger to date to now demand over 150 lives, and at least 3,018 inhabitants were sold due to the extreme weather conditions. After heavy rains that started on Wednesday evening and lasted until Thursday, numerous corpses were recovered almost 10 km from Mokwa, which caused the number of death to rise further. Estimates indicate that many victims were probably flushed into the Niger River.

The effects of the water are devastating: at least 265 houses were completely destroyed by the floods. The loss of agricultural products is also considerable because the floods, especially rice cultivation areas, were devastated. According to reports, the increase in water has left many people without shelter. Videos and photos show how entire neighborhoods are under water and residents try to save their valuables. Kazeem Muhammed, a affected citizen, reported on the losses of life and agricultural yields. President Bola Tinubu has expressed his condolences and reported that ongoing search and rescue activities are supported by security forces.

challenges from climate change

The situation in Nigeria is part of a larger pattern that is reinforced by climate change. Meteorologists warn of further rains in the coming days, which increases the concerns about further floods in the region. According to experts, the frequency and severe such disasters increase due to climate change, unregulated construction and poor drainage infrastructure. The head of the local government, Jibril Muregi, emphasized the urgency to create suitable infrastructure for flood control in order to minimize future risks.

bad floods, most recently over 1,200 people died in 2022, and up to two million were driven out by similar disasters. Experts emphasize that the middle annual temperature in Nigeria increases and predict a temperature increase by 3 to 6 degrees by 2100. These climatic changes have already led to a decline in rainfall in some regions, while others, especially in the south, are affected by more frequent and more intensive rains. The Cschadsee in northeastern Nigeria has shrunk by 90 percent since 1963, which illustrates the dangerous combination of lack of water and flooding.

In addition, people have to deal with the health risks that occur afterwards to the floods. The spread of diseases such as cholera is a well -known risk that has been observed in the past. As in October 2022, when 60 people died and 200,000 homeless, floods are not only a question of direct security, but also a long -term problem for the health of the population. The national emergency management authority warns of the dangers of building in water protection areas and emphasizes the need to keep drainage channels and river courses free. These measures are crucial to alleviate the future effects of the weather extreme and to reduce the vulnerability of the population.