Nigeria floods death toll has passed 600, officials say

More than 600 people are now known to have perished in the worst floods in a decade in Nigeria, according to a new toll released Sunday.

The disaster had also forced more than 1.3 million from their homes, said a statement by Nigeria’s ministry of humanitarian affairs, released on Twitter.

“Unfortunately, over 603 lives have been lost as of October 16, 2022,” Humanitarian Affairs Minister said.

The previous toll from last week stood at 500, but the numbers had risen in part because some state governments had not prepared for the floods, the minister said.

The flooding also destroyed more than 82,000 houses and nearly 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres) of farmland, said Umar Farouq.

The World Food Program and the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization said last month that Nigeria was among six countries facing a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.