The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) has awarded $10,000 for flood relief in Nigeria after torrential rains killed more than 360 people, injured more than 18,000, caused widespread property damage and displaced more than two million people.
The worst floods in five decades have affected many areas of the country, especially near the Niger River and in northern regions of the West African nation as well.
“Rivers overflowed their bridges, roads were cut off and many communities were submerged. Heaven just opened up without restraint,” said Olasupo Ayokunle, president and CEO of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC).
Ayokunle said “many Baptist communities were affected as properties were destroyed. Boats were used to rescue people from their homes.”
The NBC “has responded positively by loading trucks with food items to Rivers Baptist Conference, Bayelsa Baptist Conference and Delta Baptist Conference,” he said.
Ayokunle expects the relief costs for food, clothing and other supplies in the affected areas to be at least $25,000 in the initial stages of immediate assistance.
The floods began in early July. Many Nigerian coastal and inland cities experienced heavy rainfall and severe flooding, disrupting economic life.
Flooding in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where Africa’s third longest river flows into the Atlantic Ocean, has disrupted oil production in Nigeria’s most important industry, as well as the cocoa crop, its most important agricultural produce.
Ayokunle asked Baptists around the world to “identify with a section of the family experiencing natural disaster.”
Donations for disaster relief may be made online at BWAnet.org or sent to:
Baptist World Aid
405 N. Washington St.
Falls Church, VA 22046 USA
