‘Bayelsa facing serious humanitarian crisis,’ Gov Diri pleads for Nigerian govt’s intervention on flood

The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called for the Federal Government’s intervention in the devastating flood ravaging the state.

Diri, who made the call in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, said the situation in the state is fast becoming a humanitarian crisis.

He added that Bayelsa has been isolated from the rest of the country and is “facing a serious humanitarian crisis, with food, medical provisions, and energy in short supply.”

The governor said: “Over the last few days, floods have overwhelmed our communities and severely impacted the lives and livelihood of our people.

“This is a natural disaster that has affected many other states of the federation to various degrees. I have been on a tour of several of our communities to see first hand the extent of the destruction. Our experience has shown that flood water empties into our state.

“From my personal assessment, the situation is dire. Nearly a million people in over 300 communities in the state have been internally displaced. Unfortunately, some deaths have been reported.

“The narrative is the same across Sagbama, Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Nembe, and Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Areas. Businesses have been shut, properties lost and farmlands destroyed. We have a humanitarian crisis.

“Critical infrastructures like hospitals, roads, bridges and schools, including the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma, the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, and the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, have been severely affected.

“As I make this address, Bayelsa State is completely severed from the rest of the country as portions of the strategic East-West Road, the sole access to and from the state, between Ughelli and Patani in Delta State as well as Okogbe and Ahoada in Rivers State have collapsed with a high volume of flood water occupying the stretch. Economic hardship has set in, as food, medical provisions and energy are now in short supply. The situation is desperate and getting worse.

“Without exaggeration, the sheer scale of devastation is not such that the state can handle on its own. We urgently solicit the support of multinationals, international donor agencies, the Red Cross, diplomatic missions, and people of goodwill to come to the aid of our state.

“I appeal to Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, to consider special grants to the state from the Stabilization Fund, Ecological Fund, and Natural Resources Fund.”

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