Nigeria was hit by the worst floods in ten years last week. The number of people who died has been provisionally set at 603. More than 2,400 people were injured and at least 1.3 million people had to flee their homes. This was announced by the Nigerian Minister of Humanitarian Affairs on Twitter on Sunday evening.
27 of Nigeria’s 36 states have been affected by the floods, which are being caused by a much wetter than normal rainy season. The West African country has been receiving more than usual rain since the start of summer. The release of water from the Lagdo dam in neighbouring Cameroon is exacerbating the problems.
Some 108,000 hectares of farmland have been largely destroyed. As a result, the floods could affect food prices in the country, rice producers warned. To boost local production, rice imports into Nigeria have been banned.
The United Nations World Food Programme last month said Nigeria was one of six countries at high risk of catastrophic famine. More flooding is expected in the coming weeks, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs warned.
