The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has released US$1.8 million to address the needs of people affected by floods across Nigeria.
The funding will enable local and international non-governmental organisations to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to more than 180,000 people in Borno, Benue, Adamawa and Yobe States.
“The dramatic flooding we are witnessing this year has devastated countless communities, displacing families and disrupting lives”, IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission ad interim, Paola Pace, said.
“Our priority is to ensure immediate relief and support is provided to those affected, ensuring they have access to essential services and the resources needed to rebuild their lives.”
The response, channelled through the Rapid Response Fund, will include shelter, non-food items, multipurpose cash assistance, protection and water, sanitation, and hygiene services to alleviate their immediate suffering and facilitate their timely recovery, according to a statement from the IOM.
It said the funding complements existing allocations and will further contribute to strengthening protection services, including community-based protection services for children and women and prevention and response to gender-based violence in some of the targeted areas.
More than 1.2 million people have been affected by floods across Nigeria this year, most of them in Borno State which has been the epicentre of a protracted humanitarian crisis.
The floods have created unprecedented destruction, reportedly killing 300 people, destroying hectares of land and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in search of safety.