Climate Change Displacement & Migration Emergencies Environment & Climate Change

Photo Essay (I): No Way Home For Locals Uprooted By Disastrous Maiduguri Floods

Although the floodwaters have receded in many parts of the Maiduguri metropolis and Jere, many families are still homeless and ruins are being recorded in several other places. Many affected people are desperately in need of food and support to rebuild their homes.

Usman Abba Zanna September 19, 2024

Tears, sorrow, destruction and displacement hit thousands of people following the disastrous flooding that nearly swallowed towns and villages of Maiduguri and the Jere local government areas of Borno State, North East Nigeria. The flood swept through communities and left disturbing trails of ruins in the affected areas.

It sparked intense debate over its causes, and HumAngle found through satellite data and an analysis of budgetary allocations that the breakdown of the Alau Dam was due to negligence and lack of accountability. Alau Dam, a critical infrastructure designed to regulate water flow and provide irrigation and drinking water, overflowed following heavy rainfall, resulting in unprecedented flooding, the worst crisis of its kind in 30 years.

The flood has displaced over 400,000 people, including those affected by the prolonged Boko Haram insurgency. HumAngle’s on-site reporting has documented how women, children, and elderly people are the most affected by this crisis. The flooding submerged towns and villages on Sept. 10, but some families are already picking up the ruins to rebuild their homes.

The state government set up temporary makeshift camps to accommodate victims of the flood, yet several families could not make it to the camp for unclear reasons. Some other families passed the nights on sprawling streets and host communities.

Women near a covered truck with colorful garments in a market setting under a clear sky. — *Families build shelters under vehicles on streets.*

Busy outdoor market scene with people, covered goods, and a person cooking on a small stove. — *A mother prepares dan wake (food made of either beans or grains flour) while her children take a nap in the tent constructed along Maiduguri – Dikwa road.*

Person sitting by a small fire on the street with colorful fabric and buildings in the background. — *An unaccompanied child prepares hot water using a rubber item washed by floodwaters.*

A woman sits by a spread of grains on a mat in a makeshift market under a bright sky. — Displaced Fanna dries up the remaining beans they retrieved from their flooded homes. It was the only food item they could retrieve six days after the flood started receding in their areas in the Kwanan Yobe community.

People under makeshift shelter with textiles, a yellow tuk-tuk, and open-air market activity. — *Groundnuts are prepared for sale while a mother prepares food for the family.*

Two people outside a makeshift tent on a sunny day, with a glimpse of urban life in the background. — *Even in times of displacement, mothers continue to teach their daughters how to cook.*

People at an outdoor market with colorful clothing and textiles, cooking pots and baskets on the ground. — Families are desperate because they are running out of food supplies. As the days continue to unfold uncertainties, they cling to hope. They are left to fend for themselves since they do not live in designated makeshift shelters, which may have enabled them access to government support.

People sitting under a makeshift tent with a cloth spread of goods, surrounded by personal items. — Bakura’s family sells cassava flour and palm oil to families taking refuge on the streets. He travels on foot to get supplies because of a hike in transport fares. Several victims of the flood cannot afford good food.

Family sitting on a mat under a shade cloth, with children playing and a man holding a baby. — *Families and friends visit their relatives displaced by the flood. Many bring glad tidings like cash, food supplies, and emotional support to those affected.*

Two individuals sitting under a makeshift shelter with corrugated metal and tarp on a sunny day. — *Interactions take place between flood victims.*

Street vendors under makeshift canopies with cooking pots and utensils in an outdoor market. — *Families dry up catfish caught by their children in floodwaters, and will use it to add protein value to their inadequate daily meals.*

Informal tent shelter with people sitting inside on a sunny day. — *Women living side by side under one tent.*

A young child walks barefoot carrying a piece of cloth, with street vendors and their wares under makeshift tents in the background. — *It is an empty cooking pot for many because there is nothing to cook.*

A person arranging items under a makeshift shelter on a sunny day amidst urban surroundings. — *Charcoal is commonly used as a source of fire to prepare food.*

People sitting under makeshift tents with colorful fabrics in a sunny market setting. — For others whose homes were entirely destroyed by the flood, the cost of rebuilding is a source of worry for them, given how expensive everything has become. They wish for good and learn to live with hope, an expensive virtue they must adopt.

Two people relaxing under a makeshift shelter by a roadside on a sunny day. — *Bachelors too have their tent.*

A makeshift tent constructed from tattered fabric on a sunny day with two people walking in the background. — *Typical tent set up.*

People walking by a makeshift street shelter under a fabric canopy, in a sunny, bustling environment. — *Some tents are very short.*

People sitting under a makeshift tent on a sunny day, with cooking utensils and bicycles nearby. — *Some families bear the rainfall because they don’t have the materials to build a good tent; they use their clothing and bedsheets to construct their tent.*

Disastrous flooding in Maiduguri and the Jere local government areas of Borno State, North East Nigeria, has caused immense destruction and displaced over 400,000 people. The flooding was triggered by the breakdown of the Alau Dam following heavy rainfall, which was attributed to negligence and lack of accountability regarding the dam's maintenance.

The affected regions have seen significant displacement, with many victims, including women, children, and the elderly, struggling to find shelter and food. Temporary camps set up by the state government have not accommodated all victims, leading some families to live on the streets. Despite the dire circumstances, communities are attempting to rebuild, with families creating makeshift shelters and finding ways to dry and preserve what little food they can salvage.

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Usman Abba Zanna September 19, 2024