By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The National Emergency Management Agency has deployed its emergency response team to Kogi State following the flooding of several communities in the state.
This move aims to help proactively monitor the flood situation across the country, according to a statement by the agency on Wednesday.
The statement noted that the team comprises staff specialised in search and rescue operations, who will provide technical support to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders conducting rescue and evacuation operations, as well as assessments in the affected communities.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said the agency has also deployed mobile water purification equipment to help provide emergency clean water for the affected families.
It should be recalled that NEMA recently alerted states identified to be at risk of flooding, urging them to prepare ahead of any potential incidents.
While issuing the alert, Umar also announced that the agency had activated all its zonal, territorial, and operations offices, and prepositioned critical equipment for timely response, including search and rescue as well as the evacuation of individuals to safer, higher ground.
The frontline states identified as being at risk of flooding include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Kwara.
“With this activation and deployment, NEMA offices nationwide and technical officers will collaborate with the relevant State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to establish Emergency Operation Centres for the coordination and activation of local actors for the emergency response.
“These efforts will include advocacy to at-risk communities, evacuation planning, identification of safe high ground for temporary shelters, and the prepositioning of equipment for evacuation and rescue. Sector leads have also been alerted to prioritise the needs of displaced persons in Internally Displaced Persons camps and other safer locations,” the statement added.
The agency is also coordinating with the Military Disaster Response Units, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to deploy their Disaster Response personnel, Police Marine operatives, and Disaster Management Units where necessary. The Nigerian Red Cross Society has also been instructed to activate its volunteers.
“The Director-General of NEMA advises residents in flood-prone areas, particularly those in communities along the Rivers Benue and Niger, to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency service providers, as the agency continues to closely monitor the situation,” the statement concluded.
In Kogi State, over 200 communities have already been submerged, with nearly two million people displaced as a result of the flood disaster.
Kogi, Lokoja, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, and Ibaji are among the affected local government areas in the state.
Data obtained from NEMA’s website revealed that, as of 14th October 2024, 1,659 people have been affected, 517 have been displaced, and 1,601 houses have been damaged in the state.
Thus far in 2024, 33 states across 208 local government areas have been affected by flooding across the country.
The data also indicated that 317 lives have been lost, 1,279,094 people were affected, 713,691 were displaced, 117,071 houses were damaged, 2,852 injuries were sustained, and 180,828 hectares of cultivated farmlands were affected by the floods nationwide.
Punch