Severe floods displace more than 64,000 people in Nigeria

Severe flooding in Nigeria has left at least 148 people dead and displaced more than 64,000 people in 18 of the country's 38 states, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Tuesday. IFRC said in a statement that it launched an emergency appeal on Tuesday for about 920,000 U.S. dollars to help people affected by the floods. An estimated 134,000 Nigerian people have been affected by floods caused by torrential downpours in recent weeks and concern is growing about the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, according to the IFRC. "The situation is likely to become even more dire if nothing is done, with weather forecasts predicting that the rains will continue," said Daniel Sayi, IFRC Regional Representative for West Coast Region. The funds raised through the appeal will support the ongoing relief efforts of the Nigerian Red Cross society and continue to provide the people affected with emergency shelter and other essential relief items, the IFRC said. It said that many other countries in West Africa, including Niger, Senegal, Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger, Chad and Mauritania have also been affected by severe flooding following heavy rainfall. The situation across the region has worsened considerably in the past two months and now affects more than 800,000 people, it said.