INTRODUCTION
Nigeria has experienced heavy rains and devastating floods that have caused loss of life, population displacement and extensive destruction of houses, farms, and infrastructure. Since July, over three million people have been affected in 34 states in the worst flooding the country has seen in over a decade. At least 603 people have died and over 2,400 have been injured. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), over 1.4 million people have been displaced due to the floods as of 24 October 2022.
In Anambra State, the 2022 flood has been recorded as the most devastating since the state started experiencing floods. The flood affected seven (7) out of the twenty-one (21) local government areas in the state. The main factor for the flood is the overflow of rivers around the state. More than 120 persons lost their lives while thousands are homeless, while agriculture, livelihood and social amenities have been lost and destroyed. The State government has created 27 IDPs in addition to the settlements created by desperate victims. These formal camps and settlements are densely populated with more women and children exposed to illnesses ranging from infectious and water-borne diseases to sexual exploitation
The 2022 annual flooding in Anambra state has accentuated the vulnerabilities suffered by women and girls. In particular the destruction of educational and health facilities exposes girls to loss of educational opportunities, well-being and dignity. In health they are exposed to communicable diseases, high rates of maternal mortality and even death due unmet reproductive health needs and facilities.
The several interventions by state and non-state actors at all levels are diminished by the high demand and weak capacities to access the relief. It is on record that while seeking access to government and philanthropic relief items, women and girls in formal and informal displaced communities are further exposed to risks of bodily and sexual exploitation. Women and girls in displaced and relocated communities are therefore in desperate need of food, shelter, clean drinking water, toilet and dignity items, psycho social support, legal intervention rehabilitation and relocation. These needs cannot all be met by any single entity, which justifies organizations and individuals selecting to provide according to expressed and affordable needs.
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