HOMEF sympathises with Niger flood victims, calls on govt to be proactive

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has expressed sympathised with families of the victims of the recent flood that struck Mokwa—a transit town for traders in Niger State. It was reported that at approximately 3:00 am on Thursday, May 29, there was intense rainfall followed by a hazardous flood, which is said to have displaced over 3,000 residents, destroyed properties, and claimed over 200 lives, with many individuals still unaccounted for.

While mourning this tragic loss, HOMEF emphasised that the government must take proactive measures to prevent similar or worse incidents from occurring in the future.

Flooding has become a persistent nightmare in Nigeria. In 2012, floods affected 33 out of the 36 states following the rain that fell between July and October that year. The floods displaced over two million people, resulting in more than 400 deaths and other associated destruction. In 2018, the Benue and Niger rivers overflowed due to heavy rainfall, causing flooding in 12 states, including Kogi and Niger. Four years later, in 2022, another severe flood killed over 600 individuals, displacing more than 2 million others. The impacts of these floods have been catastrophic for communities and states.

The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, in his reaction to the recent flood event in Niger State, noted that communities and cities in flood-prone areas could seize to exist if nothing is done to address this menace.

In a statement, he said: “This is a horrendous recurring decimal. There is no word to describe our lack of preparedness and our ill-maintained infrastructure. Combined with insecurity and the fact that more rain is expected, the displacement problems will be compounded. There is no time for excuses.”

Dr Bassey added, “This is the time to declare an environmental state of emergency across board. This national emergency can impact our national wellbeing by leading to food scarcity, environmental degradation, mass displacement, increased poverty, water-borne diseases and exacerbate insecurity.”

Dr Bassey further spoke on forecasts and early warnings from different agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). He expressed his disappointment, emphasising that these warnings become meaningless if provisions are not made to move people and settle them on safe and higher ground.

“Nigeria needs to be proactive; our government needs to have emergency preparedness and be able to relocate people when these warnings and forecasts are made to avert the kinds of disasters we see when flooding events like this occur. We sympathise with the families affected by the floods and stand in solidarity with the communities that have been impacted.”

Stephen Oduware, Programme Manager of Fossil Politics at HOMEF, noted that flood damage continues to escalate, making recovery challenging and problematic.

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