More than 600 people have perished in Nigeria’s worst floods in decades.
The disaster has also forced more than 1.3 million from their homes, The ministry of humanitarian affairs reveals.
“Unfortunately, over 603 lives have been lost as of today (Sunday) October 16, 2022,” Nigeria Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Farouq said.
The previous toll from the previous week stood at 500, but the numbers had risen in part because some state governments had not prepared for the floods, the minister said.
The flooding also destroyed more than 82,000 houses across Nigeria and nearly 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres) of farmland, said Sadiya Farouq.
While the rainy season usually begins around June across some parts of Nigeria, the rainfall had been particularly heavy since August, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
In 2012, 363 people died and more than 2.1 million were displaced by flooding across Nigeria, VOA disclosed.
Sub-Saharan Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change and many of its economies are already struggling from the ripple effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Rice producers have warned that the devastating floods in Nigeria could impact prices in the country of some 200 million people where rice imports are banned to stimulate local production.
The World Food Program and the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization said last month that Nigeria was among six countries facing a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.
