Kotonkarfe, Nigeria – Over 200 communities in Kogi State have been submerged by floods, leaving nearly two million people displaced, as the state grapples with a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Kogi State Government has urgently appealed to the Nigerian government and international donor agencies for immediate assistance. Speaking to journalists in Kotonkarfe, Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, warned of the dire situation, calling for swift intervention.
“The National Emergency Management Agency cannot afford to wait any longer,” Fanwo stated, stressing that the crisis has become “overwhelming.”
Fanwo revealed that nine out of Kogi’s 21 Local Government Areas have been severely affected, with infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, completely destroyed. “We have opened about 68 IDP camps, but they are inadequate to accommodate the massive population,” he explained.
Describing the scene as devastating, Fanwo highlighted the plight of the most vulnerable: “Seeing the aged and little children in this kind of distress is a horrible sight.” He emphasized that the scale of destruction requires urgent attention to avert further catastrophe.