In Nigeria, heavy rainfall has led to the heaviest flooding in decades. The north-east of the country, the state of Borno and its capital Maiduguri, have been particularly affected. This region is already under severe pressure: it has been terrorized by Boko Haram and other Islamist militias since 2009. Mission 21 is now stepping up humanitarian aid and assisting those affected by the massive flooding.
Large parts of Central and West Africa were affected by the persistent heavy rainfall, which led to the heaviest flooding in decades. The countries most affected are Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan, as well as parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The UN emergency aid agency OCHA recently reported that 600,000 people have been affected in Nigeria. More than 230 people have been killed by the floods in Nigeria so far. The consequences of the floods also include flooded roads, destroyed buildings such as schools, hospitals and homes as well as ruined fields.
In Nigeria, the northernmost state of Borno, which is plagued by the terrorist militia Boko Haram, is particularly affected. The Alau Dam burst near the federal capital Maiduguri. The subsequent flooding killed at least 30 people and destroyed houses, fields and important bridges. Due to the flooding, the sewage systems in Maiduguri are completely overloaded and the emergence of epidemics such as a cholera outbreak poses a real danger. The World Food Program (WFP) set up kitchens to feed displaced people in the city and provided emergency food rations to people in the worst affected areas.
Mission 21 provides humanitarian aid
Mission 21 has been working with its partner church EYN and partner organizations on the ground for years. We are now stepping up our commitment to humanitarian aid for the people affected by the floods. We are working together with the EYN's Disaster Relief Management department to help people directly: with clean drinking water, hygiene articles, food aid and everyday items such as cooking utensils and mattresses. In many cases, the few household items that people had were destroyed by the floods. EYN is currently assisting around 700 families around Maiduguri and supporting more than 2,500 people in total. Further support is urgently needed for the survival of the people in north-eastern Nigeria. The government and other national and international organizations are also helping in this difficult situation.
