From Ali Rabiu Ali, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government said 134 persons died while property worth N1.5trillion had been lost to the recurring flood in the state.
The deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Umar Namadi said this when he hosted the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) official, Rahman Rihub Mahmud Fara on Saturday.
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He said 22 roads and 11 bridges were completely washed away by the water, while one village was completely destroyed.
Namadi, who is also the acting governor, said the flood moved towards the eastern part of the state, adding that Kirikasamma and Birniwa local government areas could be greatly affected.
He said the flood affected 272,189 people, out of which 76,887 lost their houses and 134 people died, adding that residents in a local government were completely cut away from the rest of the state.
He said there was the need to maintain the dam by evacuating the sand so that water could be contained to prevent flood.
He said that for years, these dams had been blocked by sand and are not being maintained and evacuated.
He appealed to the federal government and other development partners, including the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to come to the aid of the state.
On his part, the chief of the field office of the UNICEF in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa, Rahman Rihup Mahmud Fara, said they came to assess the situation and see what could be done to alleviate the suffering of the communities affected by flood in Jigawa State.
He emphasized the need for both Jigawa State and the UNICEF to work together when it comes to emergency preparedness and response planning in the next years ahead as flooding has become perennial in the state.
