Nigeria’s worst flood in a decade leaves more than 600 dead

The death toll in the worst flooding Nigeria has seen in a decade passed 600 people, the country’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs tweeted on Sunday.

According to the ministry, more than 2 million people were affected by floods that spread across southern parts of the country after a particularly wet rainy season.

More than 200,000 homes were totally or partially damaged, the ministry added.

Earlier this month, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warned of catastrophic flooding for states located along the courses of the Niger and Benue rivers, noting that three of Nigeria’s overcrowded reservoirs were expected to overflow. Nema said the release of excess water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon contributed to the flooding.

While many parts of Nigeria are prone to annual flooding, flooding in certain areas was more severe than the last major floods in 2012, a Red Cross official in Kogi told CNN last week.

Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq warned on Sunday that more flooding is likely and urged regional governments to prepare accordingly.

“We urge the respective State Governments, Councils of Local Governments and Communities to prepare for more flooding by evacuating people living in floodplains to high ground, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water and medical supplies for a possible outbreak of waterborne diseases,” the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs said on Twitter on Sunday.

The country will soon implement its National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, aimed at improving coordination of flood response efforts.

According to the ministry, “the relief went to all the states of the federation” and “many state governments did not prepare for the floods”.

A delegation organized by the ministry will visit state governors across the country to suggest strengthening state flood response mechanisms.