Maiduguri Flood: UN Allocates $6m Support Fund for Victims
The United Nations has unveiled a $6 million emergency relief fund to aid victims of the catastrophic floods in Maiduguri, Borno State. The disaster, caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam, has claimed over 30 lives and worsened the plight of communities already uprooted by conflict and instability.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mohammed Fall, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, confirmed that a joint team comprising UN agencies, NGOs, and the Nigeria Red Cross Society visited the affected areas.
“We met people who have already endured multiple displacements due to violence, and now they are facing the havoc of these floods,” Fall said.
To alleviate the situation, the UN and its partners are delivering hot meals, air-dropping supplies to isolated areas, and trucking in clean water.
“We are also providing essential water and sanitation services to prevent disease outbreaks,” Fall added.
Similarly, while President Bola Tinubu announced the creation of a Disaster Relief Fund after his visit to the affected victims, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar donated N100 million to those impacted.
“The purpose of our visit today has already been announced by the Master of Ceremony. I want to let you know that whatever affects Borno also affects me,” Atiku said when he visited the state on Sunday.
“It is in that capacity, therefore, Your Excellency, that we have come here with my delegation, as mentioned or announced, to commiserate with you, the government, and the good people of Borno State,” he added.
The flooding has ravaged over 125,000 hectares of farmland, further escalating food insecurity in the region. UN teams are coordinating closely with donors to secure additional resources to address the worsening crisis.
