Dam Overflow Sparks New Crisis In Insurgency-hit Nigerian City

Maiduguri, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2024) Flood water from an overflowing dam has destroyed thousands of homes in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state in northeast Nigeria, with emergency officials fearing the situation could get worse.

Several aerial videos and photos shared by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with AFP showed rows of houses submerged in murky water.

An epicentre of more than a decade-long jihadist insurgency, Maiduguri serves as the hub for the responses to the humanitarian crisis in the northeast region.

- Worst in 30 years -

The United Nations refugee agency in Nigeria (UNHCR) on its X account said it was the city's worst flooding in 30 years.

"It is an unprecedented incident," NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo told AFP on Tuesday. "Some of the central parts of the city that have not witnessed flood in so many years are witnessing it today."

Thousands of homes have been submerged by the rapid rise of waters after the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Maiduguri.

"The last three days have over 150,000 individuals with over 23,000 households affected," said NEMA zonal coordinator Surajo Garba.

But with more locations being hit, "we are sure the figure will be much over 200,000 individuals," Garba forecast.

"The flood, which began over the weekend and worsened in the following days, was the direct result of excess water from the Alau Dam," said Nigeria's Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hails from Maiduguri as he visited the area.

"The collapse of the spillways unleashed a significant surge of water downstream, causing widespread flooding in the surrounding communities," added Shettima.

The flood also inundated the city's post office and main zoo, with authorities warning that "deadly animals has been washed away into our communities (sic)."

Social media showed pictures of an ostrich which had supposedly escaped from the facility wandering the streets of the city.