Aminat Yahaya —
The Director-General of Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Yabawa Kolo yesterday in Maiduguri, the state capital revealed that no fewer than 18,406 persons have been displaced by flood in 14 local government areas of the state.
While disclosing this in an interview, she said the affected persons including women and children had been displaced by flood occasioned by heavy rainfall recorded this season.
Kolo also listed the affected areas to include Shani, Kwaya Kusar, Biu, Damboa, Askira Uba, Chibok, Kaga, Dikwa, Maiduguri, Monguno, Jere, Mobbar, Gwoza, Monguno and Kala Balge, among others.
Environews said the SEMA boss stated that the damage assessment exercise conducted in Monguno and Kala Balve LGAs showed that the flood submerged farmlands, displaced 1,735 persons, destroyed 681shelters and 112 toilet facilities at the GGSS, NRC and Gana Ali Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
“Reports from international partners in different field and locations indicated that a total of 4,989 houses destroyed and 16,393 victims affected.
“This prompted SEMA to conduct rapid independent assessment to ascertain actual level of damage.
“Most of the displaced persons are seeking shelter in primary schools in neighbouring communities. They are now in need of shelter kits, mats, blankets and food items,” she said.
Yabawa said that the state’s Flood Response Committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, has been working to assist the victims of the disaster.
