President Muhammadu Buhari said the flooding in Nigeria has been catastrophic, especially in Bayelsa State where more than 700, 000 people in 300 communities and villages have been displaced.
In a statement issued via Twitter, the President further disclosed that the flooding has affected 27 of the 36 states in Nigeria.
The President also urged disaster management agencies to scale up their response to the victims.
President Buhari noted that all federal agencies dealing with rescue and disaster management have been directed to scale up their responses.
“The devastation caused by these floods is saddening, most recently in Bayelsa, where the figures so far indicate 700,000 persons have been displaced in about 300 communities & villages. Our deepest condolences to the families of all the victims, and all those affected, nationwide,” he said.
“Last week, I met with a delegation of governors and assured them of the full support of the federal government, as the entire nation grapples with this flooding disaster. We will work together to alleviate the plight of all affected people and communities until normalcy is restored,” he added.
The federal government has also ordered the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of food items from the National Strategic Reserve, for distribution to communities affected by flooding.
Nigeria’s Humanitarian Ministry noted that the flooding has killed about 600 Nigerians, destroyed 90,000 homes in 27 of the 36 states, and impacted a total of 2.5 million people.
