WEEKEND DISASTERS RESULT IN DEATH AND DISPLACEMENT

UNCLAS ABUJA 001575 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV NI SUBJECT: WEEKEND DISASTERS RESULT IN DEATH AND DISPLACEMENT REF: OPCENTER TELCON 9/9/03 ¶1. Two major vehicle accidents with several fatalities occurred on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads over the weekend. In Bauchi State, a bus flipped off the highway killing 23 of its 24 passengers on September 6. Then on September 7, a four-vehicle pileup south of Abuja including more than one intercity bus resulted in at least 70 deaths, possibly as many as 100. Accidents of this nature occur almost weekly somewhere in the country, as overloaded and poorly maintained vehicles drive at often excessive speeds over bad roads with numerous potholes, poor lighting, and occasional flooding. ¶2. Recent heavy downpours in northern Nigeria over the past two weeks have caused extensive flooding, and local and international media have reported tens of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The flooding is concentrated along the Kaduna River which flows through several states in north-central Nigeria. As the rains continue, the number of IDPs grows. Continued flooding September 7 resulted in several hundred homeless in Kano State and possibly several thousand in Kaduna State. All affected state governments have responded with varying measures to assist the populace and have also called on Nigeria's Federal Government to assist. MEECE