LAGOS, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 2.5 million people in Nigeria are in need of humanitarian assistance due to the severe flooding during the rainy season this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Friday.
About 60 percent of the 2.5 million affected people are children, who are at an increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition, said a UNICEF statement reaching Xinhua.
"Children and adolescents in flood-affected areas are in an extremely vulnerable situation," said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, in the statement. "They are particularly at risk of waterborne diseases and emotional and psychological distress."
The floods, which have affected 34 out of the 36 states in the country, have displaced 1.3 million people. More than 600 people have lost their lives and over 200,000 houses have either been partially or fully damaged, said the UNICEF.
As rains are expected to continue for several weeks in the most populous African country, humanitarian needs are also expected to rise, said the UN agency. ■