Nigeria Has Been Hit by Devastating Floods, With Authorities Blaming Themselves in Part for the Devastation

Over the last week, Nigeria has been hit by devastating floods, with authorities blaming themselves in part for the devastation.

At least 600 people have died across the West African nation, with the disaster affecting two-thirds of the states.

Nigeria is flooding and the US blows hot and cold

(Photo : PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)

Up to a quarter-million homes have reportedly been destroyed, displacing an estimated 1.3 million people, as per The Guardian.

The floods are the result of months of above-average rainfall, with the first floods occurring in the summer.

The release of water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon exacerbated the problem, submerging large areas of farmland and threatening regional food security.

Meanwhile, the positioning of the jet stream has caused a sharp divide across the United States. The western half of the country has experienced a late summer blast, bringing yet another wave of record-breaking temperatures.

Last Sunday, the temperature in Seattle reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Temperatures have never been so high this late in the season, with this October having the most days above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius) than any other.

However, the eastern half of the United States has experienced an early winter blast. The cold has broken records in the Great Lakes region, with parts of Michigan and Wisconsin receiving more than 40cm of snow on Monday and Tuesday.

This was caused by lake effect snow, which occurs when the temperature difference between the relatively warm water of the Great Lakes and the cold air above causes persistent and intense convective precipitation.

Following a scorching summer, southwestern Europe has received yet another blast of heat in recent days.

On Wednesday, temperatures in France reached 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit), while temperatures in Spain reached new highs.

Granada experienced its warmest October day on record, with temperatures reaching 35.3 degrees Celsius (95.5F).

This means that there have been 25 days in Spain this year when a heat record has been broken.

Read More: Flooding in Nigeria Leaves 50 People Dead and Multiple Homes Damaged

Food crisis looms in Nigeria

Flooding is still occurring, but we can safely estimate that 60 to 75 percent of the expected yield will be lost, according to Kabir Ibrahim, president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, who spoke to AFP this week, as per Africa News.

According to the most recent figures provided by Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Sadiya Umar Farouq, over 600 people have died and 1.3 million have been forced to flee their homes.

Floods are not uncommon in Nigeria during the rainy season, which lasts from May to November, but they have been particularly severe this year.

Climate change, officials and residents say, is to blame, but so is poor planning and the release of excess water from dams, which is supposed to relieve pressure.

If the dams are not opened through the spillways, the dams will fail, and "all of Nigeria will be under water like Pakistan," according to Ibrahim.

As a result, Ibrahim, whose organization represents 20 million farmers, believes that the end of the year and the beginning of next year will be more difficult.

Food inflation was already at 23.3 percent year on year last month, owing in part to the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war's ripple effects on the import-dependent country.

Insecurity was rampant, with gunmen repeatedly attacking rural communities, forcing many farmers to abandon their fields.

Even before the floods, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that Nigeria was one of six countries facing a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.

Floods have not only destroyed farmlands but have also hampered truck transport and damaged roads and bridges, putting additional strain on the food supply.

We were hoping for a break in inflation with the (upcoming) harvest, but the floods have put a big question mark on our inflation forecast, said Ari Aisen, the IMF's Resident Representative for Nigeria.

It appears to be very serious, but it's difficult to judge at this point, he told AFP, adding that while it's too early to tell, there is an upside risk for inflation, as well as increases in food prices.

According to the World Bank, the last massive floods in Nigeria in 2012 cost nearly $17 billion.

Related Article: Scales of 15,000 Dead Pangolins Seized After Failed Smuggling in Nigeria