Nigeria at ‘extremely high risk’ – UNICEF
Nigeria has been considered as ‘extremely high risk’ of the impacts of climate change, ranking second out of 163 countries.
This was made known by UNICEF’s representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, in a statement issued and signed by Geoffrey Njoku of the fund’s communication unit.
The statement reflected that children in ‘extremely high risk’ countries are most likely to be exposed to multiple climate and environmental shocks combined with high levels of underlying child vulnerability, due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education.
It stated that more than 2.5 million people in Nigeria are in need of humanitarian assistance with 60 per cent of them being children that are at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition as a result of the flooding that has bedeviled the country.
It revealed that floods have affected 34 out of the 36 states in the country, have displaced 1.3 million people, over 600 lost their lives and over 200,000 houses either partially or fully damaged.
“The floods, which have affected 34 out of the 36 states in the country, have displaced 1.3 million people. Over 600 people have lost their lives and over 200,000 houses have either been partially or fully damaged. Cases of diarrhoea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been on the rise. In the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone, a total of 7,485 cases of cholera and 319 associated deaths were reported as of 12 October,” the statement read.
UNICEF reiterated its commitment to working with the government and other partners in providing life assistance to those in need of it.
(Vanguard)
