UN Releases $8 Million to Support Flood Victims in Maiduguri, Nigeria

By Boniface Ihiasota, USA

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has come to the aid of flood-ravaged Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, with an immediate release of $8 million to support victims.

Excel Magazine International learnt this gesture follows the devastating flood that killed dozens and displaced hundreds of thousands last week.

Mohammed Malick Fall, UN Resident Coordinator, announced the new funding during a visit to Maiduguri over the weekend, where he assessed the damage and ramped up lifesaving assistance.

Fall emphasized the UN’s solidarity with the affected communities, stating, “We’re all behind you not only in sympathy but in solidarity. We will not spare any of our resources in this response.”

The UN has already provided hot meals and facilitated food air drops in hard-to-reach areas cut off by flood waters.

Excel Magazine International reports that the flood, triggered by a dam burst, has affected over 1 million people, with many taking shelter in camps.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum described the flood as “the most devastating acute disaster” the state has suffered, damaging bridges and affecting the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, which houses West Africa’s most advanced medical equipment.

This disaster compounds the existing malnutrition crisis caused by conflict, climate change, and inflation in the region.

Local residents lament the skyrocketing food prices due to flooded roads, markets, and farms.

The UN’s humanitarian response plan for Nigeria requires $927 million, but only 46% of the funds have been secured.

This support comes after Nigeria’s worst flooding in a decade in 2022, which claimed over 600 lives and displaced 1.4 million people.