Category: News October2022

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Flooding in Nigeria Causes Mass Displacement, Health Risks and Food Insecurity

29 October 2022 – by Darina Kalamova

Flooding is a prevalent natural disaster in Nigeria, but it is rarely as devastating as it has been in 2022. In fact, this year’s floods have been the worst ones in the last 12 years and so far they have caused the deaths of more than 600 people. 1.4 million people have been displaced and thousands of hectares of farmland have been submerged. People have lost their homes and livelihoods, and many are in need of shelter and food.

The crisis is further exacerbated by the fact that the country’s northern region is embroiled in a regional conflict. Thousands of Nigerians were already living in camps for displaced persons because of it and now those camps are being destroyed by the water. 

Authorities blame the tragedy on the hefty rainy season aggravated by climate change and the discharge of excess water from the Lagdo dam.  However, several other factors should also be taken into account, including the country’s land use plan, its disaster management, and the lack of investment in climate infrastructure. 

The government is calling on state and local government councils to increase their efforts and continue to evacuate people who live on floodplains as there is still a danger of further flooding. In fact, some Nigerian States will remain at risk until the end of November and some inland water reservoirs are expected to continue overflowing, endangering the communities living alongside the rivers Niger and Benue.

There are concerns about the spread of diseases due to the water contamination caused by flooding. In fact, an increase in cholera and other preventable diseases has already been reported. Several rice-producing states in northern and central Nigeria, where the conflict has already been threatening food production, are now also being affected by the floods. This is straining the country’s food stability and according to data from UNICEF, more than two million people are at risk of waterborne diseases and malnutrition. 

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New Project to Help Those Displaced by Somalia Crisis

27 October 2022 – by Cosmo Sanderson

As Somalia teeters on the edge of a famine that could cause a rate of child death not seen in half a century, a new project has been launched to provide emergency relief to those displaced by the crisis.  

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on 18 October that a new US$20 million project had launched to tackle the pressing needs of 71,000 displaced and vulnerable people affected by the historic drought. 

Over a million people have been displaced in Somalia since January 2021, which marked the start of a drought now stretching across four failed rainy seasons. A failed fifth rainy season is thought to be likely, as is a rare formal declaration of famine. The crisis has been driven by global warming. 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that half a million children are at risk of dying from malnutrition. “Without greater action and investment, we are facing the death of children on a scale not seen in half a century,” said spokesperson James Elder. 

The IOM is partnering with the World Bank and the Somalian government on the new project, which will provide emergency relief and enhance abilities to recover and adapt through long-term housing solutions and infrastructure development.

“The project comes at a critical time as the most severe drought in four decades pushes millions of people further into poverty, starvation and displacement, with thousands at risk of eviction,” said Ewa Naqvi, IOM deputy chief of mission in Somalia.

Many Somalis that have left rural areas are living in informal settlements on the outskirts of cities where they face “fear and intimidation,” says the IOM, with a high risk of forced evictions. 

Ismail Abdirahman Sheikh Bashir of Somalia’s Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing said the project would “urgently address the water, sanitation, shelter, health and nutritional needs of drought-affected families.”

Image credit: Flickr/Ivan Radic