Flood: Hundreds of Kankia displaced residents appeal for help
By Zubairu Idris
Hundreds of residents of Kankia in Katsina State displaced by flood on September 2 are appealing for help as they battle to survive after the flood swept away their valuables and destroyed their houses.
The affected residents are mostly from Layi quarters, Kofar Yamma, Gurara, Unguwar Rinji, part of Sabon-birni and Bakin-Kasuwa, where the flood hit hard.
“Majority of the houses in those places were completely destroyed, while in other places like part of Sabuwar-Abuja, Kanti and Gachi the damages were less severe,” a resident said.
Although officials of the State Emergency Management Agency had undertaken an assessment of the damages, there has been no immediate support yet for the victims who are squatting with relatives in other parts of the town.
Some of the victims interviewed expressed shock over the incident, describing it as the worst disaster in the town in over four decades.
They appealed for support from relevant authorities, individuals, corporate bodies and philanthropists.
One of the victims, Malam Mustapha Suleiman, said that their house and some of their neighbours in Sabon-birni were among those destroyed.
Another resident, Malam Abubakar Abdullahi, said that the magnitude of the disaster was heavy and called for assistance to those affected.
Abdullahi said apart from houses and other structures, the flood also submarged many farms.
When contacted, the Chairman of the council, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, said he had inspected the damages and expressed concern that more houses may likely collapse because of the water level.
He also said the flood had affected other communities outside Kankia town.
“I went to a village after Tafashiya yesterday where half of the village was completely destroyed by flooding. It is something from the Almighty Allah, and we pray to Allah to avert future occurrence.”
The Chairman assured that the local council was working in concert with SEMA to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the flood disaster.
