In Kogi State, it’s apparent that the devastating effects of flooding have made hundreds of people homeless while many lost their lives and properties worth billions of naira were destroyed.
Painfully, most of the victims are less-privileged people living from hand-to-mouth, this is to say the situation has added to their suffering and as such many lost their lives due to hunger and starvation in the Internally Displaced Persons Camps. Food inadequacy has been the major concern in the IDP camps whereby multiple people share a cup of ‘gari’ from down to sunset.
Moreover, in the IDP camps, there is no access to basic facilities such as water, toilets, and a suitable place to lay their heads. Some of the victims and their families sleep outside without mosquito nets, thereby exposing them to disease outbreaks such as cholera, typhoid, malaria and many more.
Apart from that, the victims are vulnerable to dangerous animals and other creatures such as snakes, scorpions among others. They also face attacks from undesirable elements who burgle their abandoned homes and cart away what was left from the flood disaster.
The situation is beyond the capacity of the state government. The Kogi State government can’t do it alone. It is clear that over 10 local governments are affected by the devastating flood which resulted in more than 80,000 homes being submerged. This is in addition to other damaged properties including farms, which number is yet to be ascertained.
Hence the intervention of the federal government is needed in the said areas to save lives.
The state cannot in any way provide the needed relief material to the victims alone as their number rises daily.
Zainab Umaru Kwagyang, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri