The United Nations Children’s Fund( UNICEF’s) Climate Risk Index (CCRI) has said that Nigeria is considered as ‘extremely high risk’ of the impacts of climate change, ranking second out of 163 countries.
UNICEF also hinted that over 1.5 million children’s education facing threats due to the menace of flooding ravaging the nation .
Latest data by UNICEF indicates 34 out of the 36 states felt the horrible impact of flooding.,displacing 1.3 million people.
The international organisation said more than 2.5 million citizens in Nigeria are also in need of humanitarian assistance
UNICEF also warns that cases of diarrhoea and water-borne diseases, respiratory infection, and skin diseases have already been on the rise.
A total of 7,485 cases of cholera and 319 associated deaths have been reported as of 12 October, 2022, In the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone, a
“Children and adolescents in flood-affected areas are in an extremely vulnerable situation,” said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “They are particularly at risk of waterborne diseases and emotional and psychological distress.
The statement also revealed that UNICEF is working closely with the Government and other partners to provide life-saving assistance to those who are most in need.
It said the floods are adding another layer of complexity to an already precarious humanitarian situation in the country.
Where immediate priority needs for children include health, water, sanitation, and hygiene; as well as shelter and food. Additional funding and resources are required to respond to growing needs and to sustain ongoing humanitarian interventions, with a focus on the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities.