Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria has been tagged as ‘extremely high risk’ of the impacts of climate change, ranking second out of 163 countries without
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 pointed out that more than 2.5 million people in Nigeria need humanitarian assistance, with 60 percent of them being children at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning, and malnutrition due to 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 who need it.
Meanwhile, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari had recently reiterated his earlier comments on Nigeria’s commitment to a safer and healthier global climate for her citizens.
The President had mentioned that the measures and conditions to actualise this included the elimination of kerosene lighting by 2030, the sharp increase in use of buses for public transport and the total reduction in burning of crop residues.