Broken promises and stolen futures in Maiduguri

The threat of the flood waving again in the city of Maidoguri, in northeastern Nigeria, a year after the heavy rains and the collapse of the dam left entire neighborhoods in the water.

For many residents who still bear the scars of floods last year, the possibility of repetition has created great discomfort.

At least 37 people died in the floods and two million people were abandoned their homes after the destruction of homes, farms and large -scale companies.

SA’ADATU Dahiru, 42, lost her two -year -old son.

“He died as a result of hunger and fever during the flood. We had no suitable food, no medicine, and not a safe place to stay.”

BBC told how her children cried and they had to rush in the middle of the night with “only a few clothes”, leaving everything else.

She says she got some government support from 10,000 lights ($ 7; 5 pounds) when the flood occurred.

However, the mother of six said that government assistance has been stopped since then: “Since then, no other promises from the government have reached us. We are still waiting, we are still suffering.”

The Borno state government says it has supported the communities affected by the catastrophe.

It cited the establishment of relief camps and food aid as well as cash bulletins.

More importantly, the government began to rebuild the dam and Dyke in Alau – on the suburbs of Maiduguri – which caused the floods.

The construction of the dam began in 1986 and was preserved by the Chad Base Development Authority (CBDA), the Nigerian government agency.

However, more than a decade and a half of the rebellion by the Islamic Boko Haram group in the region made it difficult to preserve the dam, said Mohamed Chitima, head of the agency engineering department, told the BBC.

The dam is located on the sidelines of the Sambisa forest – about 4 km [2.5 miles] From the base of jihadist groups, “clearer.

“The dams were worn and because they were not preserved, when the heavy rains came last year, the dyes were given the road, as it was released [the] A huge amount of water that flooded the city. ”

In August, two soldiers were killed near the dam and four security agents were killed at the hands of suspected Islamic fighters.

One of the victims of the floods who were affected by Islamic violence is Mary well.

She escaped from her hometown of Dambo with her daughter and two grandchildren after she was attacked by Boko Haram about four years ago.

“They didn’t warn. They came like a dark wind at night.”

I thought she found safety in Midoguri. Then the floods came and forced them to flee for the second time.

She sat on a broken mass of her destroyed wreck with her red dress, or Gilbab, she drew her head to the floor.

Eyes of a researcher, the 72 -year -old cut the character of a person who saw years of suffering and difficulties.

“She stood in the water, the dean, crying.”

She now lives in a temporary shelter where food is rare and unclean.

She not only lost her home, but also the pictures and property that carried her family memories.

After one year of floods, many residents still live in temporary shelters, with no homes to go to.

Young people were also especially affected by the disruption of their education, as well as the lack of jobs.

Ali Kado, 21, told the BBC in the flood, “Take everything” from him.

He said, sitting in a broken chair, leading a swarm of flies in hot weather, ”

Mr. Kado remembers how it started like every rainy season – the usual flood in the streets. But this time, it did not stop. The water began to enter the homes of people, and before a long time, the GWANGE area was immersed in.

“Our house – which was built with mud – could not bear the pressure. The walls fell. The water appeared, endured everything. Our clothes, mats, food, and even my phone that I used to get customers. Everything went,” he said.

The family grew abroad for three days before they found space in a nearby school that turned into shelter. There was no privacy, no comfort, only bodies lying side by side.

The mechanical store where he used to work – water destroyed tools and machines.

“Now, I am just sitting. No job. No school. No money to start anything. Sometimes I help pay Wheelbrows on the market just to eat. I do nothing but think.”

The Governor of Borno Papagana, Umara Zulom, described the flood’s response as an arduous task, especially given the state’s struggle for 16 years with violent extremism.

“We have created a committee with specific conditions,” he said, adding that the members worked tirelessly to ensure that families affected have appropriate support, including shelter and food.

The finding of a million people in Maiduguri, a city hosting more than a million people who fled Islamic attacks, was a great challenge.

“The government’s priority was to stop the flow of water, which helped prevent the city from immersion completely. This was achieved through the river rivers and a new construction [drainage]He said.

According to the committee’s report, a total of 28.2 billion gray ($ 18 million; 13 million pounds) was collected through a group of national governments and state governments, as well as relief agencies such as the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Food Program.

According to what was reported, a large amount of money was distributed to more than 100,000 families, in addition to food and non -food items.

Additional support included financial assistance to more than 7,000 traders in the affected markets, as well as to places of worship and private schools.

As part of the reconstruction and recovery activities, Borno requested an additional $ 61 billion to rebuild the damaged infrastructure, including bridges, road networks and hospitals.

However, there is a risk that this large amount of money will not be approved unless there is another disaster.

Some money has also been approved to rehabilitate and upgrade wells throughout Maiduguri and the societies surrounding the processing of the scarcity of water caused by flood.

While the rainy season is heading towards its climax in September, for people like Mrs. Deer, the question is simple: “How do I start again when I have nothing?”

While Jidda is still sad. She had 10 children. Only three survived.

“Nothing remains only memories and pain.”

Participated in additional reports of Chiguzi Awuka and Hoda.