Flood threats: Amnesty Int’l urges Nigeria to act now to save lives

Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Nigerian authorities to urgently take concrete steps to prepare for and mitigate the potential…

Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Nigerian authorities to urgently take concrete steps to prepare for and mitigate the potential consequences of flash flooding to avoid a repeat of last year’s fatal floods, which it said killed more than 612 people.

 In a press release yesterday signed by its Country Director, Isa Sanusi, it said federal and governments of states at high risk must with all urgency – be proactive, by mapping out flood zones and issuing early warnings.

 He added that communities frequently affected by flooding must be provided with all the critical information on how to effectively prepare for floods disaster.

 “Emergency response plan must be accessible and people centered by providing evacuation routes, adequately trained search and rescue teams, location of emergency services and lines of communication across the 32 states that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources said are ‘at high risk of flooding.”

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 “With this year’s rainy season already gaining momentum, time is beginning to run out. Yet there is still a chance for the authorities to put in place comprehensive disaster risk preparedness plans to protect lives and livelihoods. As the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency have already issued warnings of severe flooding, there is an urgent need for the government to act in a timely manner to protect human rights,” Sanusi said.