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highlights
Floods have killed more than 300 people and affected 1.2 million people in 33 states in Nigeria. Floods have displaced tens of thousands of people in Kogi state in north-central Nigeria. Flash floods have disrupted humanitarian operations in Dikwa, northeastern Borno state. The number of cholera cases is increasing across the country during the floods. Nigeria is experiencing a food security and malnutrition crisis, with flooding occurring in the midst of a famine period and malnutrition on the rise.
Situation overview
Floods evacuate tens of thousands of people in Kogi state in north-central Nigeria
Floods in parts of Kogi state have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes in affected areas such as Ibaji, Lokoja, Kogi and Bassa, according to the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS). This is based on a field assessment of the flood situation in the state. Most of the affected people have migrated to higher ground in neighboring areas, including Idah and Lokoja local governments, while others have migrated to other states such as Benue, Enugu, Delta, Anambra and Nasarawa in search of safety. . However, some have chosen to remain to protect their remaining crops and harvest potential.
Floods have submerged more than 61,000 hectares of farmland in Kogi, according to the latest information from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), based on a preliminary analysis from October 1 to 15. According to NRCS, the affected crops include rice, yams, cassava, beans, peanuts and sweet potatoes. Some farmers reportedly built rafts to retrieve immature crops that had been uprooted.
Emergency interventions needed for affected people include medical care, shelter, food supplies, and non-food items such as mattresses, buckets, and essential medicines. The affected people are also in urgent need of clean water and sanitation facilities.
Efforts are being made to address these needs as assessments continue to provide response information, including verification of the actual number of people affected who require ongoing and coordinated support. NRCS conducts community sensitization, water purification, and sanitation to prevent the risk of disease outbreaks. Joint evacuation operations with government authorities are underway, alongside continued field surveys and capacity building with partners such as the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (FMHAPA) and ECOWAS. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dispatched an emergency response team to Kogi State for search and rescue operations and assessment. NEMA also deployed water purification equipment to provide clean water to the affected people.
In other states at risk of flooding, NEMA is pre-positioning critical equipment for search, rescue and evacuation of people to safety. The agency also works with relevant state ministries and departments to establish Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) as needed to respond to emergencies, including activities such as advocacy and evacuation of at-risk communities. We plan to adjust the Frontline states identified as at risk of flooding include Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Rivers and Taraba.
According to NEMA, reports from the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) indicate that the Niger River in Lokoja, Kogi State and the Benue River in Makurdi, Benue State continue to have red alert water levels. It shows that. These levels indicate a significant risk of flooding.
Flash floods occur in Dikwa, Borno state, disrupting humanitarian relief efforts
Humanitarian partners in Borno State have reported that recent flash floods in Dikwa LGA have significantly disrupted humanitarian operations in Dikwa, Ngara and Ran areas. Floods have reportedly cut off the main access route between Asiri and Dikwa in Bakassi district, stranding humanitarian aid convoys and essential supplies in Asiri town. As a result, much-needed relief supplies are unable to reach the most vulnerable communities. Humanitarian workers working in these areas are reportedly running low on fuel to power generators and vehicles. This shortage has severely compromised operational capabilities. Local markets are also facing severe shortages of essential goods as merchants are unable to restock their stores due to impassable roads. This has led to higher commodity prices, worsening the situation for already vulnerable displaced and host communities. Inaccessible roads also disrupt water trucking and sanitation services, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks in crowded communities. Thousands of people are affected, primarily in Dikwa (more than 27,000), followed by Rann and Ngara.
Some businesses are resorting to transporting small quantities of goods by boat, but supply remains insufficient to meet the needs of local communities. Reports of negative coping mechanisms such as transactional sex and begging are increasing as families struggle to meet their basic needs.
Humanitarian partners in Ngala and Ran are in urgent need of an emergency airlift of critical health and nutrition supplies to prevent the suspension of ongoing emergency health and nutrition operations. If this situation continues, humanitarian aid agencies may be unable to continue their operations and may be forced to suspend operations. Immediate action, including alternative logistics solutions such as air transport and mobilization of additional resources, is critical to prevent further deterioration. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in collaboration with the United Nations Humanitarian Aviation Service (UNHAS), airlifted nutritional supplies to primary health facilities in Dikwa. Since October 1, over 500 tonnes of humanitarian supplies have been airlifted to various partners in Dikwa, Ngala and Rann. All shipments are free for humanitarian partners.
Number of cholera infections increases nationwide due to floods
The national cholera outbreak remains a major public health concern across Nigeria. As of mid-October, the country had recorded more than 14,000 suspected cholera cases, with 378 deaths and an average case fatality rate of 2.7%. This was announced by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). The northern states of Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe and Kano are the epicenters of the outbreak. Cholera incidence is exacerbated by flooding and inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure. Additional support and resources are needed to effectively manage and contain cholera outbreaks.
As part of the cholera response in northeastern Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have delivered more than 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine to the Borno State Government. This is the second batch of vaccines to be delivered to the state, with the first 300 doses already administered to reduce the spread of the disease, especially within internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Adamawa State likewise received over 600,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine in two doses. UNICEF provided the first batch of 200,000 doses, which were used for a mass immunization campaign in Yola North LGA from September 27 to October 2. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has planned mass vaccination in Yola South LGA and has supplied the second batch of over 400,000 doses. Yobe State also received over 400,000 doses of cholera vaccine from FMoH. A mass vaccination campaign against cholera is underway, with more than 18,400 people vaccinated.
In Yola, Adamawa State, where 64 new cholera cases have been reported in the past week, humanitarian organizations are carrying out awareness campaigns and disinfecting water to stop the spread of the disease.
Additionally, health partners in Adamawa are conducting regular hotspot analyzes and active case searches to monitor the cholera situation. However, there are concerns in the state about the depletion of essential medicines such as Lactated Ringer’s, which is essential for managing dehydration in cholera patients.
Floods hit amid food security and malnutrition crisis, increasing malnutrition
Reports from various humanitarian organizations indicate that levels of acute malnutrition are increasing across the country. An October 15 report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) showed a 24% increase in cases of malnutrition among young children in the health facilities it supports in northeastern Nigeria. Ta. Additionally, the ICRC recorded a 48% increase in severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications in children under five years of age in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. I did. Also in northeastern Nigeria, (UNICEF) found that between September and October 2024, approximately 47 per cent of children aged 6 to 59 months tested in temporary locations were acutely malnourished. revealed. This situation has been further exacerbated by an increase in cholera cases following recent floods, significantly increasing the burden of acute malnutrition. Similarly, in northwest Nigeria, a September report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) found that one in four children under the age of five in Zamfara state’s Shinkafi and Zurmi districts is malnourished. It was shown that there is.
Floods affected vast tracts of farmland across the country. According to FAO, from October 1 to 15, the top five most affected states in terms of affected agricultural land area included Taraba, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Jigawa. FAO’s latest information for the same period shows that the potential annual production losses for maize, sorghum and rice total 1.1 million tonnes. These losses could cover the annual kilocalorie needs of approximately 13 million people. Grain losses amount to almost USD 1 billion in economic value.
Food insecurity is further exacerbated by the ongoing armed conflict in north-eastern Nigeria, which has displaced millions of people and severely restricted access to agricultural land, reducing mainly agricultural livelihoods. Destroyed. In many areas, violence and insecurity have prevented farmers from cultivating their fields. The effects of climate change are exacerbating the situation, with erratic rainfall patterns and flooding making subsistence farming increasingly difficult across the country.
At Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Council in Borno, nutrition partners have screened more than 37,000 children aged 6-59 months for acute malnutrition from September 10 to date. I’m going. Of those tested, more than 7,000 were severely malnourished and nearly 10,000 were moderately malnourished. More than 5,600 children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) were treated in mobile outpatient treatment program (OTP) facilities. Meanwhile, more than 6,000 children aged 6 to 23 months received a small amount of lipid-based nutritional supplement (SQ-LNS). In Maiduguri, FAO will reach 1,000 malnourished children through Thom Browne’s locally sourced supplements, safe cooking kits and home gardening kits to promote sustainable farming practices. That’s what I’m aiming for.
Urgent funding is needed to sustain ongoing efforts to address malnutrition. At MMC and Jelle alone, nutrition partners need at least $4.2 million to ensure a continued supply of specially formulated foods and support operational costs, including repairing damaged health and nutrition facilities.
Disclaimer
For more information about the work of OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.
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