Flooding and mudslides leave 347 homeless in Cross River

No fewer than 347 people have lost their homes due to floods and mudslides that hit several communities in Cross River State. The disaster has caused significant damage in the area.

Efa Nyong, the Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, shared this information on Tuesday during a press briefing in Calabar, the state capital.

Nyong reported that 167 people became homeless because of a mudslide in Calabar. Another 180 people were displaced following heavy rain in the Central Senatorial District.

He mentioned that those affected are currently being sheltered in different locations across Calabar and parts of the Central Senatorial District.

He stated, "About 347 persons have been displaced after mudslides and floods ravaged various communities in the state. From our assessment, 167 persons were rendered homeless by a mudslide in Calabar, while 180 others were displaced in the Central Senatorial District."

The SEMA boss, who took office on July 14, said the disasters were due to natural events and human actions.

"Basically, two things are happening. They are happening out of natural occurrence and, secondly, out of human activity. That is all that is happening currently in the state as regards disasters," he said.

Nyong mentioned that he visited communities in the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts to educate residents about disaster prevention. He plans to extend this campaign to the Northern Senatorial District soon.

He added that the agency would start a statewide advocacy campaign using billboards, radio jingles, and town criers.

Nyong pointed out that reckless waste disposal is a major cause of flooding. He warned that the effects can reach several kilometers away from where waste is discarded.

"When people throw waste indiscriminately, it may not show its impact immediately where it is dumped. Its impact could be a couple of kilometers away from where the activity was carried out," he explained.

On fire outbreaks, Nyong advised residents to turn off electrical appliances when not in use, change faulty cables and bulbs promptly, and upgrade electrical wiring when needed.

He explained how the agency responds to disasters. The Local Emergency Management Committee, led by the vice-chairman of each local government area, is the first responder.

He said that incidents which local committees cannot handle are passed to SEMA, and then to the National Emergency Management Agency if needed.

"Where we cannot manage it at the level of the state, we push it further to NEMA. When they cannot manage it at that level, we begin to seek international assistance," he said.

Nyong mentioned that the Nigerian Red Cross Society is one of the agency’s main partners in providing shelter for those displaced.

He noted that it is hard to estimate the financial damage caused by the disasters due to the changing value of the naira.

"We cannot quantify it because if you want to bring it back to what it was, we don’t know the current state of the naira," he said.

He added that the agency has received relief materials and financial help from the government and private donors as they work to stabilize and resettle the affected people.