LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities say the death toll from large-scale flooding in recent weeks has jumped to nearly 200 people.

The National Emergency Management Agency said Thursday the toll is up from the 100 reported last week. It says more than 1,000 other people have been injured, with more than 800,000 affected overall since late August.

The agency says those numbers are expected to rise.

A national disaster has been declared in four of Nigeria’s 36 states after heavy rains.

A similar disaster in 2012 killed 363 people and displaced over 2.1 million. The Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency and Nigerian Meteorological Agency have said water levels will be higher this time.

Some of the most badly affected areas are along the Niger River. </s> By The Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian authorities say 100 people have died in flooding after heavy rains in recent days.

A National Emergency Management Agency spokesman tells The Associated Press that the deaths have occurred in 10 states and that the toll could rise.

The Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency say rising water levels will be higher than those recorded in 2012, when flooding killed 363 people and displaced over 2.1 million.

The agencies have warned that 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states will be seriously affected by severe flooding.

Some of the worst affected areas are along the Niger River. Its water level is expected to rise substantially if water is released from the Lagbo dam in Cameroon as Nigerian authorities anticipate.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> Nearly 200 people have died in flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains across 12 states in Nigeria.

 

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Thursday that 199 people were killed after the main Niger and Benue rivers burst their banks.

 

A national disaster was declared in several central and southern states.

The United Nations last week said there had been more than 3,000 recorded cases of cholera and 97 deaths in the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno and Yobe in the past two weeks alone.

 

NEMA said in its latest update that "large-scale flooding" since late last month made more than 286,000 people homeless.

 

Numbers were expected to rise and more rain is expected in the coming weeks, it added.

 

Shelter, food, medicine and other items such as mosquito nets were "priority needs", the report said.

Flooding has not only devastated towns and villages along the rivers but also destroyed crops and killed livestock, said Abubakar Kendehe, secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross.

"One of our biggest concerns following extensive floods like this is the threat of cholera and other diseases," Kendehe warned.

Lack of sanitation, healthcare and clean water "could have deadly consequences" and add to the nearly 28,000 suspected cases of cholera reported across Nigeria since January, he said.

In the wider Lake Chad region - comprising Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon - more than 500 people have died from the water-borne disease since the start of the year.

Northeast Nigeria has also been the epicentre of Boko Haram's attacks, which have killed more than 20,000 people since 2009.

Some 1.8 million are still homeless there, many living in makeshift camps as a result of the conflict. </s> Sept. 17 (UPI) -- More than 100 people have died as a result of flooding in Nigeria, after heavy rains swelled two major rivers beyond their banks, authorities said Monday.

The rain storms in the past two weeks caused the Niger and Benue Rivers to overflow, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

NEMA Director-General Mustapha Maihaja also warned that flooding could intensify.

The area was declared a national disaster and President Muhammadu Buhari announced the authorization of $8.2 million in relief aid.

Officials said thousands have been displaced and farmlands in central and southern Nigeria have been ruined. Niger state is the worst hit, with 40 deaths reported so far.

The two rivers flow horizontally across the country and merge to flow southerly to the Atlantic Ocean's Bay of Guinea. Lojoka, the city at the rivers' confluence in Kogi state, has also been hard-hit by flooding, authorities said.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warned for several weeks of impending flooding that could be comparable to disastrous flooding in Nigeria in 2012, in which 363 people died and more than 2 million were displaced.

Nigeria faces nearly annual flooding, a situation blamed on inadequate local planning and poor drainage systems. </s> More than 100 people have died in floods after Nigeria's two major rivers burst their banks, authorities say.

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says heavy rains caused the Niger River and Benue River to overflow. </s> Nearly 200 people have died in flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains across 12 states in Nigeria, the country’s main relief agency said on Thursday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 199 people had lost their lives after the main Niger and Benue rivers burst their banks.

A national disaster has been declared in the central states of Kogi, where the two rivers meet, and Niger, plus Delta and Anambra in the south.

NEMA said in its latest update that “large-scale flooding” since late last month “impacted 826,403 people”. Of those, 286,119 had been made homeless.

Numbers were expected to rise and more rain is expected in the coming weeks, it added.

Shelter, food, medicine and other items such as mosquito nets were “priority needs”, the report said.

The flooding has not only devastated towns and villages along the rivers but also destroyed crops and killed livestock, said the secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross, Abubakar Kende.

But he warned: “One of our biggest concerns following extensive floods like this is the threat of cholera and other diseases.”

Lack of sanitation, healthcare and clean water “could have deadly consequences” and add to the nearly 28,000 suspected cases of cholera reported across Nigeria since January, he said.

The United Nations last weekend said there had been more than 3,000 recorded cases of cholera and 97 deaths in the northeast Nigerian states of Borno and Yobe in the past two weeks alone.

In the wider Lake Chad region comprising Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, more than 500 people have died from the water-borne disease since the start of the year.

Northeast Nigeria has also been the epicentre of Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency, which has left more than 27,000 people dead since 2009.

Some 1.8 million are still homeless, with many of them living in makeshift camps as a result of the conflict. </s> More than 100 people have died in floods after Nigeria's two major rivers burst their banks, authorities say.The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says heavy rains caused the Niger River and Benue River to overflow.It has resulted in a series of floods across the country over two weeks, with rural areas most vulnerable.The government is urging residents along waterways to relocate to safe places.Worst hit is Niger State, where more than 40 people have died, Nema director Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja told the BBC.Eleven other states have been affected - they are Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Adamawa, Taraba, Kebbi, Bayelsa, Edo, Anambra, Rivers and Delta.Nigerian authorities are considering declaring a state of emergency,Nigeria faces flooding almost every year.Analysts blame recurring flood disasters on lack of proper town planning, blocked waterways and poor drainage systems. </s> Nearly 200 people have died in flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains across 12 states in Nigeria, the country's main relief agency said on Thursday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 199 people had lost their lives after the main Niger and Benue rivers burst their banks.

A national disaster has been declared in the central states of Kogi, where the two rivers meet, and Niger, plus Delta and Anambra in the south.

NEMA said in its latest update that "large-scale flooding" since late last month "impacted 826,403 people". Of those, 286,119 had been made homeless.

Numbers were expected to rise and more rain is expected in the coming weeks, it added.

Shelter, food, medicine and other items such as mosquito nets were "priority needs", the report said.

The flooding has not only devastated towns and villages along the rivers but also destroyed crops and killed livestock, said the secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross, Abubakar Kende. </s> The authorities in Nigeria say more than 100 people have been killed in floods across the country in the past two weeks.

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says heavy rains caused the country’s two major rivers — Niger River and Benue River — to overflow.

The government is urging residents along waterways to relocate to safe places. The devastation is across Nigeria, but most have been killed in the north-central state of Niger.

The head of Nema, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, told the BBC more than 40 people have died in the state. Deaths have also been reported from 11 other states, he said.

Areas have been submerged, thousands of people have been left homeless and vast swathes of farmlands have been destroyed by the floods.

Rural areas are the worst hit. The Nigerian authorities say there is the possibility of more floods in the coming days as heavy rains continue.

They are considering declaring a state of emergency over the disaster to ensure a more effective response. Nigeria faces flooding almost every year. Analysts blame it on lack of proper planning, blocked waterways and poor drainage systems. —BBC
The death toll of the floods that affected Nigeria this month rise to 200.