THE United Nations has raised an alarm over the devastating flooding impact in Borno State, which it said has exacerbated an already critical food and nutrition crisis in the state’s Internally Displaced Person camps.
It also noted the possible risk of a cholera outbreak, as it stressed that access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities has been severely disrupted by the floodwaters.
The UN’s flash report, dated Tuesday, September 10, and released by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), highlighted the growing concerns over malnutrition, as the floodwaters have severely damaged farmlands.
It stated that many of the affected residents were already grappling with food insecurity, and the destruction of crops has worsened the situation.
The flooding, caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam following heavy rains, has affected over 239,000 people in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Areas (LGAs), according to the report.
The ICIR reports that the flood which ravaged parts of Borno State displaced residents and destroyed their homes while also displacing animals from the zoo.
The flood, which surged into the early hours of Tuesday, September 10, inundated several communities in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Areas. Areas such as Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, Bulabulin, and communities near the Custom area were particularly hard hit.
Consequently, with the displacement of many residents, the crisis has impacted the population of the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Borno, where overcrowding and poor sanitation are increasing the risk of a cholera outbreak.
“The floods have forced some of the affected people to move spontaneously to the Muna IDP camp, which was already hosting over 50,000 IDPs. Government authorities have evacuated residents in high-risk riverine areas to several locations.
“Approximately 50,000 people have been evacuated to the former Bakasi IDP camp, which has been temporarily reopened and is already at full capacity. Other temporary shelters include the former Dalori IDP camp and the Asheik Jarma school in MMC. The El Miskin camp, housing approximately 7,000 IDPs, more than half of them children, has also reportedly flooded.
“Access is severely restricted in many areas affecting critical supply chains, and disrupting access to schools, health care facilities and markets. Schools in Maiduguri have been temporarily closed for two weeks due to the flooding,” the report added.
According to the Humanitarian office, the Mashamari and General Hospital Stabilisation Centres (SC), which are treating malnourished children, have been forced to suspend operations.
It noted that while patients from the SC were evacuated to other facilities, patients and staff from Mashamari Hospital SC are stranded.
The UN further called for urgent intervention to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the northeast, warning that without swift action, the combination of flooding, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks could lead to a large-scale public health emergency.
“The immediate needs are food, shelter and clean water, with some water sources contaminated. Protection remains a major concern, especially among unaccompanied and separated children, older persons and people living with disabilities.
“Intermediate needs include non-food items and interventions to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as cholera in congested sites. The floods have also affected nutrition stabilization centres treating severely malnourished children in MMC and Jere LGAs,” the report stressed.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M