The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on the international community, donor agencies, climate justice advocates, and humanitarian actors to provide immediate assistance to the displaced and grieving families of the Mokwa flood.
ITUC-Africa, in a statement on Tuesday by its General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, also said the Mokwa flood, which left over 150 persons dead calls for a renewed commitment to addressing the root causes and compounding risks of climate change.
The ITUC-Africa General Secretary expressed deep solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the people and families affected, saying that “this disaster is yet another stark reminder of the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related events in Africa and the disproportionate burden borne by countries of the global South.”
Tribune Online reports that over 150 lives were lost and many thousands displaced by the flood which destroyed homes, schools, livelihoods, and public infrastructure in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, North-Central Nigeria.
“ITUC-Africa stands in unwavering solidarity with our sisters and brothers of the NLC and all affected communities. We commend the prompt emergency response efforts by the Nigerian government and urge that these efforts be sustained, scaled, and systematised.
“Beyond emergency relief, this tragedy calls for a renewed commitment to addressing the root causes and compounding risks of climate change. We echo the NLC’s urgent call for proactive risk mapping, sustainable urban and rural planning and the rehabilitation of critical water and drainage infrastructure, including the timely construction of long delayed catchment dams and the proper maintenance of existing ones.
“We call on the international community, donor agencies, climate justice advocates, and humanitarian actors to provide immediate assistance—shelter, food, medical supplies, relocation support, and rehabilitation funding—to the displaced and grieving families in Mokwa.
“Furthermore, we stress the importance of long-term adaptation and resilience investments, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. Workers and their communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts. Climate change is a workplace and livelihood issue. It must be met with bold, inclusive, and transformative action.”
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