Children and Girls are among the worst affected during natural disasters like the flood incident in Maiduguri. Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria calls for an urgent and increased level of protection, provision of rescue services, basic health, nutrition and lifesaving supplies to the affected children, girls, their families and communities.

ABUJA, NIGERIA; 11 SEPTEMBER 2024: SCI Nigeria is deeply concerned about the flood incident in Borno State, which is one of the worst flooding incidents in the last 30 years, affecting 16 LGAs. Thousands of homes, shops, offices, hospitals, schools, and vehicles have been washed away or submerged by the flood – while it has claimed the lives of over 26 persons and severely injured 163 people.

According to IOM/DTM, an estimated 240,000 households have been displaced, affecting about 40% of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area (LGA) – but these figures are likely to increase in the coming days. Moreover, the Flooding in the Maiduguri Zoo has reportedly led some wild animals, including crocodiles and snakes, to escape their enclosures that puts the safety of children at a higher risk.

The flood has severely impacted significant number of people by leaving them without shelter, healthcare, and food supplies, and raising the risk of water-borne diseases and epidemics. The flooding poses significant threats to life, resulting in forced displacement and damaged water and sanitation facilities, which increases the risk of cholera and limits access to essential WASH services, potentially leading to open defecation. The situation is worsened by the fact that the State Specialist Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital are also flooded, while stabilization centers are forced to suspend operations.

Therefore, Save the Children calls upon humanitarian actors, donors, the government and all stakeholders for an urgent action in response to the needs on the ground, including but not limited to provision of temporary shelters with makeshift latrines for the displaced population; ensuring access to food and clean water; distribution of WASH kits, such as blankets, jerry cans; construct temporary toilets; promote hygiene, focusing on handwashing with soap, and set up handwashing station; psychosocial support for children and caregivers to manage distress; distribution of dignity kits for girls and non-food items (NFIs) to children affected by the flood to ensure they live with dignity and respect.

In response to the ongoing flood crisis, the government has closed schools across Borno State for two weeks. Some schools are being used as temporary shelters – and this has disrupted the access and quality of education in the state.

Save the Children immediately started planning and mobilizing a rapid response to the needs of flood affected communities in Maiduguri by initially using internal humanitarian funds, technical expertise and over a decade long experience in humanitarian action in the NE. Save the Children is currently on the ground to do an in depth needs assessment with a view to mobilize an adequate resource to provide an urgent and wider rescue service, lifesaving response and rehabilitation of affected communities.

Save the Children’s urgent response plan to the crisis includes but not limited to Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to the affected households; setting up health and nutrition outreach services to the affected households; rehabilitation of sanitation facilities, and conducting hygiene promotion and community awareness raising; child protection in emergencies through setting up Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) help desk to provide psychological first-aid and psychosocial support to children and caregivers in the camps; the rollout of safe family sessions and establishing minimum protection monitoring activities, among others.

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