Iran's red crescent ready to dispatch relief aids to Nigeria

A senior official of Iran's Red Crescent Society announced that the society is prepared to send humanitarian aids to Nigeria after flash flooding across Nigeria's Southwest killed at least 102 people. Head of Iran's Red Crescent Society Aboulhassan Faqih said in a letter to the Nigerian Red Cross Society on Sunday that the Iranian organization is ready to carry out any rescue operations in Nigeria. He also stated that the society is willing to send humanitarian assistance to the flood victims. Some 1,500 people remain displaced by the torrential downpours, officials said. The major flood hit hardest in Oyo state's capital of Ibadan. Heavy rains there on Friday made a local dam overflow, sending water crashing through the informal settlements surrounding the city. The water also damaged three bridges in the area, trapping people in their neighborhoods. Nigeria's emergency agency had warned that rains will be heavier this year than last year. In an assessment after the flooding, the agency said more flooding would be likely in areas with inadequate drainage and improperly disposed trash, a common problem in Nigerian neighborhoods where zoning laws are rarely heeded or enforced. Last year, some 500,000 people were displaced nationwide by floods in Nigeria. Nigeria's rainy season lasts roughly from June to September.