from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE telecommunications sector is bearing the brunt of the worst flooding crisis in northeastern Nigeria in 30 years.
Telecoms infrastructure has been swept away.
This worsens the woes of an industry that has suffered destruction of communications infrastructure by Islamist groups and subsequent reluctance by telecoms operators to invest in the volatile region.
Floods have ravaged northeastern Nigeria in recent days and the crisis peaked last Monday, leaving around 40 people dead and over 400 000 affected.
Cash-strapped humanitarian agencies are scrambling to salvage the situation and have lamented that, as has been the case with the 15-year-long terror, the telecommunications infrastructure has suffered some of the most destruction.
This is impacting on humanitarians’ efforts to provide aid to those affected by the flooding.
“The local telecommunications and electricity networks continue to be disconnected in some areas,” said an official of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The state of Borno is worst affected, particularly its capital, Maiduguri.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official revealed how not only telecommunications setbacks were hampering intervention, but also infrastructure such as bridges having collapsed.
The lack of telecommunications infrastructure is impacting on aid workers responding to the humanitarian crisis.
They are in constant need of such services to coordinate intervention activities.
– CAJ News