Local communities, mainly farmers in flood plain areas of Ebonyi State are witnessing devastating impacts of flood waters, which has washed off their farmlands and residential homes.
Farmers in Onuebonyi, Izzi and Ikwo Local Government Areas of the State are worst hit after days of torrential rainfall that is heightening humanitarian crisis among displaced persons in the areas.
Ebonyi, largely an agrarian setting in South East Nigeria, is one of the States predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) among 21 States at high risk of flooding this year.
The four areas of the State highlighted in a latest NiMET warning signal include, Ezillo, Echara, Abakaliki and Afikpo, but the flood damage has gone beyond these predicted communities..
Days of downpour has left farmlands in Amagu Ikwo and Onuebonyi submerged with flood waters, resulting in devastating effects on households and livelihoods.
Helen Oguji and Samuel Iroko want the authorities to implement a permanent solution to address these perennial flooding and mitigate its impacts.
Feliz Ezaka and Ezinne Nwafor share same sentiments, narrating how difficult it’s for them to survive without harvesting their crops, as well as the damages to their properties by the flood.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Environment, Victor Chukwu, explains that government is addressing issues connected with the completion of work on the Newmap waterways mitigation projects in Onuebonyi, which he admits is the major cause of floodings in the locality.
As the heavy rains and attendant floodings persist, there are concerns that the level of disasters on homes and farmlands may result in humanitarian crisis if governments do not take urgent steps to to provide basic reliefs to displaced families and communities.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
