Abuja, Nigeria – Floods in northeastern Borno state have affected up to one million people, according to Governor Babagana Zulum. The floods, triggered by the overflow of a dam following heavy rains, have caused widespread damage and displacement.
The state-owned zoo was decimated by the floods, and dangerous animals such as crocodiles and snakes have been washed into flooded communities. Local officials have described the flooding as the worst in two decades.
Authorities are still assessing the damage, but it is clear that a significant portion of the state capital, Maiduguri, has been inundated. Governor Zulum visited Bakassi camp, a former shelter for displaced people, and warned of the potential for waterborne diseases due to the flooding.
Bakassi camp, which was once home to tens of thousands of people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency, was closed last year. The camp has now been affected by the floods, further complicating the situation for displaced residents.
The National Emergency Management Agency reports that 229 people have been killed by floods in Nigeria since the beginning of the year. The 2022 floods, which were the worst in recent times, resulted in the deaths of 600 people.
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