Earth News from TerraDaily.com
Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods
Lagos, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2024
Two major rivers have flooded across central Nigeria displacing tens of thousands of people, the Red Cross told AFP.

Rescue workers in Kogi State have been helping residents move away from the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers to displacement camps or nearby villages.

Umar Y Mahmud, the Red Cross disaster management officer in Kogi, said Friday there were more than 60,000 people displaced and about 60,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of land under water.

"The situation is very bad now as the Niger river is increasing," Mahmud said.

Kogi state's information commissioner Kingsley Femi Fanwo said displacement camps were becoming "overwhelmed" and estimated that more than one million people could be in the affected areas.

The floods have been mounting for the past month, hitting densely populated areas, including parts of the state capital Lokoja.

In Ibaji district, more than three-quarters of the land has been inundated, Fanwo said.

Nigeria often sees floods during the May-to-November rainy season but there are fears this year's could be worse than 2022 when more than 500 people died. No deaths have been reported this time.

Floods in Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, in September, left at least 37 dead.

Officials and residents often blame flood damage on climate change as well as poor planning, construction along riverbanks, and the release of water from dams.





Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit Moon
Amazon prepares to launch first full batch of Project Kuiper satellites
Eutelsat expands airborne internet with operational LEO service for aircraft

24/7 Energy News Coverage
AI could impact 40 percent of jobs worldwide: UN
A new path for quantum connections
EU delays 2040 climate target until summer

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Trojan Horses in Space: Cyber Threats Hidden in Satellite Networks
AFWERX backs Slingshot AI tech to monitor suspicious satellite activity
Can NATO agree a deal on spending that satisfies Trump?

24/7 News Coverage
Microplastics debate ramps up tensions over EU green ambitions
Protest as quake-hit Myanmar junta chief joins Bangkok summit
Carbon Robotics debuts autonomous tractor system with live remote control capability


ADVERTISEMENT



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.