Floods have affected 34 of the country’s 36 states, and around 1.3 million people have been forced to leave their homes.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday that more than 239,000 people in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri have been affected by flooding caused by a dam collapse.

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OCHA reported that the Alau dam, located about 25 kilometres from the state capital, overflowed due to structural damage and constant rainfall.

The UN agency said that there are several dead and wounded, but the exact figures are unknown, given that access to hospitals, schools and markets has been hampered.

On the other hand, the spokesman for the National Emergency Agency of Nigeria (NEMA), Manzo Ezekiel, reported that approximately 70 percent of the city is under water.

@WHONigeria is coordinating with other international and local partners to ensure a unified response to the flooding and its health impacts. These include working with @UNICEF and other NGOs involved in water, sanitation, and health interventions. pic.twitter.com/ospBmOa81z

— WHO Nigeria (@WHONigeria) September 9, 2024

Ezekiel said “Our team is there and we are working with the state emergency management agency to provide necessary support and save lives from flooding”.

Also, a statement from the Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo stated that over 80% of animals, including lions, crocodiles, buffaloes and ostriches, have died.

The facility’s general manager, Ali Abatcha Don Best, said “Some deadly animals have been dragged into our communities, animals like crocodiles and snakes”.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that more than 2.5 million people, 60% of them children, are in need of humanitarian assistance and at increased risk of water-borne diseases, drowning and malnutrition.

UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, said “Children and adolescents in flood-affected areas are extremely vulnerable”.

“They are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases and emotional and psychological distress. UNICEF is working closely with the Government and other partners to provide vital assistance to those who need it most,” Munduate added.

The country has seen an increase in cases of diarrhoea, skin diseases and respiratory infections.

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