At least 612 residents of Potiskum in Yobe State have been displaced following heavy rainfall and flooding that swept through the town on August 15, the State Emergency Management Agency has said.
SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Mohammed Goje, disclosed in a report on Saturday that the victims, drawn from 102 households across five political wards, are now camped at Sabon Gari Primary School, Potiskum, while others are being hosted by relatives and neighbouring communities.
According to Goje, women and children make up the majority of the displaced, with communities such as Old Prison, Filin Mashe, Unguwar Makafi, Unguwar Jaje Bakin Kwari, Afghanistan, Tsangaya, Karofi, Bayan Garejin Dan Juma, Jigawa, and Makarahuta worst hit by the floods.
He said 56 households were displaced from Bayan Garejin Dan Juma, 21 from Afghanistan, and 25 from Anguwan Wanzam Dan Fulani alone.
Goje noted that SEMA’s field teams, working with partners including the Yobe Emergency Management Ambulance Service, National Emergency Management Agency, International Organisation for Migration, International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Centre for Civilians in Conflict, are carrying out rapid assessments and delivering relief.
Immediate interventions, according to him, focus on food supply, medical care, shelter and hygiene support, as well as the distribution of non-food items such as mats, mosquito nets, blankets, buckets, and kettles.
“The rescue team has provided assistance to reintegrate 102 households into host communities,” the report said, adding that meals and basic healthcare are also being provided to prevent disease outbreaks.
The Yobe government thanked residents for their support and patience, assuring that all relief efforts would be guided by transparency and accountability.
