Flooding And Humanitarian Crises

editorial

The flood that ravaged many parts of the country this year has given birth to many humanitarian crises. It came through heavy rainfall and the excess water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. Cross River, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Bayelsa, Kogi, Kwara Delta, Anambra and many other states were badly affected.

What is worrisome is that more trouble is in the horizon if the federal, state and local governments do not act in pro-active ways. The immediate problems are at the social level: health and crimes. There is also the long term food scarcity that this year’s flooding will bring in 2013 and beyond.

First, the flood in many parts of the country which washed off many farmlands might, as Professor Paul Shaba Marley, the managing director, Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, UNRBDA, warned, result in famine in 2013. As he put it: “Flash flood is very dangerous; it washes anything that is on its path. We recorded the highest devastation from flash flooding this year. It washed away thousands of houses and farmlands.” According to meteorology officials, it is the worst in Nigeria for 50 years.

It is for this reason that we suggest that the Federal Government should, as a priority, find ways to compensate farmers who have sustained huge losses and make available incentives or subsidies for their farm imputs for the next planting season. This will create two positive effects. One, those whose farmlands were washed off will be able to keep body and soul together. Second, in the next season, they will be encouraged to engage in farming.

While we acknowledge that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has many granaries scattered in different parts of the country (Ikene, Ekiti, Akure, Kogi, Ilesha and others), we advise that the Federal Government should expand these so that the time it can cushion the effect of food scarcity could be extended. Nigeria will neither be the first nor the last to have strategic food reserves. The US, Canada, China, Brazil, India and others have. State and local governments should also build theirs since they have direct dealings with the grassroots. This is necessary because the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, and other global organisations, have warned of increasing global food prices.

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On the humanitarian aspect, President Goodluck Jonathan recently announced the immediate release of N17.6 billion to states affected by flood. Moreover, he set up the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, jointly chaired by President, Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba. The committee is targeting to attract N100 billion to help those affected.

However, government has not looked into protection of internally displayed persons against crimes. Recently, it was reported that at least 19 young girls had been raped at Wurukum, Saint Catherine and Wadata resettlement camps in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

One of the victims was quoted: “I just walked back into the camp after I had visited a former neighbour in town. I got into the camp that evening, while walking towards the classrooms where we sleep, somebody called my name from a dark spot. I tried to find out who it was, but before I knew what was happening, somebody grabbed me from behind and threatened that he would stab me to death if I shouted. He grabbed me down and raped me. There are so many other girls; there are over 19 of us that have been raped in the last few days, but we are all hiding it because of the shame, but if we don’t cry out we will not get help because we are helpless.”

Our position is that government should provide adequate security for these helpless people.

Moreover, there have been reported cases of cholera epidemics in many of the camps. The three tiers of government should provide temporary basic sanitation facilities for the internally displaced persons.

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