FLOOD: Almost 200 people die in Nigeria, over 800,000 affected
Almost 200 people have now been confirmed dead in the flood that has swept through several states in Nigeria, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
The agency which has been providing relief materials and foodstuff to victims of flood said in a statement on Thursday that more than 826,000 people have been impacted in some way across ten states.
It added that about 150,000 hectares (371,000 acres) of agricultural land has been destroyed and 200,000 people have been displaced.
The numbers, NEMA says, are expect to increase in the coming days.
Flooding in several communities across the country had been aided by torrential rainfall which caused two rivers to overflow.
President Buhari had urged NEMA to declare national disaster in affected states. Anambra, Delta, Kogi and Niger were declared high risk, while eight others have been placed on red alert.
Food and crops worth billions have also been destroyed.
Farmers in states such as Kebbi, Niger, Kano and Kastina have reported that close to 200,000 metric tons of unharvested rice have been washed awayby floods in the past month.
Reports say the quality of cocoa harvested in the country has worsened after the heavy rainfalls caused an outbreak of fungal disease on the pods and trees.
President of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Sayina Riman, said the worst-hit southeastern cocoa belt could lose as much as 40 percent of its estimated output.
In 2012, no fewer than 363 people died due to flooding while over 2 million were displaced. There are fears that this year’s casualty figures could be just as much.
