Flooding has resulted in the deaths of 68 people across Kano and Jigawa states following heavy rains that began in July. The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Isyaku Kubarachi, reported that 31 people have lost their lives in Kano, with 135 others injured and 5,280 houses destroyed across 156 communities in 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The disaster has displaced 313 residents and impacted a total of 31,818 individuals, with 2,518 farmlands, spanning 976 hectares, also destroyed.
Kubarachi attributed the widespread damage to severe rainfall, particularly in areas where mud houses were constructed along waterways. He noted that while flooding was initially expected in 14 LGAs, it has now affected 21. The Kano State government is actively working to provide aid to the affected communities, with many displaced residents finding shelter with neighbors and relatives.
In Jigawa, the situation is equally dire. Dr. Haruna Mairiga, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed that the flood death toll in the state has reached 37. The flooding has displaced 15,000 people, who are now taking refuge in schools where the government has supplied them with mats and blankets. Additionally, 12,000 hectares of cultivated farmlands have been washed away across 17 of Jigawa’s 27 LGAs.
Dr. Mairiga expressed concern that the region has not yet reached the peak of the rainy season, suggesting that the situation could further deteriorate. Both state governments are continuing to monitor the crisis and provide relief to those affected.
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