Flash floods in Mokwa, western Nigeria, have killed more than 150 people and forced about 3,000 from their homes, most of them children, the United Nations (UN) reports. Heavy rains starting May 29 swept away neighborhoods and left hundreds still missing.
Nigeria’s rainy season often brings severe flooding, but disasters are becoming more extreme. In 2024, flooding in Borno state killed 230 and displaced over 600,000 people, and more than 1.3 million were displaced nationwide in 2022. UN experts link this worsening trend to climate change.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a former Nigerian minister, sent condolences to families and said, “My prayers are with you.” UN agencies and Nigerian officials are rushing food, medical supplies, and shelter to those in need.
The World Health Organization is sending medicines, while the International Organization for Migration is providing shelters. The UN Population Fund is creating safe spaces and offering maternal health care for women and girls.
Mohammed M. Malik Fall, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, applauded local response efforts and pledged continued UN support as communities try to recover.
