By Bayo Muhammad Alabira, Dutse
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), has said children and women were the most affected in the flood that ravaged Jigawa state which led to the death of over 100 people.
This was contained in the report presented to Jigawa state government by Mr Michael Banda, Senior Education Manager with UNICEF, while delivering relief materials worth N231 million to the flood victims at the weekend in Dutse.
According to the reports, 257 health facilities and schools were either washed away or destroyed by the flood caused by torrential rainfall across the 27 LGAs of the State.
The report has it that, since the torrential rain began in August, floods have displaced thousands of people and killed over 100 across the state.
It said many families have lost their homes, livestock and farmlands, adding that infrastructures like bridges and several roads were also washed away by the floods.
Banda further explained that a total of 30 health facilities have been flooded, while over 200 were affected with various degrees of damage.
“As a result, the health needs of the affected population, especially pregnant and lactating mothers, are not being met”, he added.
“Under Education, there are missed opportunities for learning as 27 schools are flooded, while 18 schools are being used as IDP camps, pupils cannot return to the schools pending the evacuation of the IDPs”, he stressed.
He said the in-depth multi-sectoral assessment was conducted by the UNICEF, State Government representing various sectors, World Health Organisation (WHO), focusing on IDP camps and a few communities.
