The Baptist World Alliance® (BWA) has granted an initial sum of US$10,000 for flood relief in Nigeria after torrential rains killed more than 360 persons, 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 River Niger, but in northern regions of the West African nation as well. According to Olasupo Ayokunle, president and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), “rivers overflowed their bridges, roads were cut off and many communities were submerged. Heaven just opened up without restraint.”
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,” the Nigerian Baptist leader reported. He expects the relief costs for food, clothing and other supplies in the affected areas to be at least US$25,000 in the initial stages of immediate assistance.
The Nigeria floods began in early July 2012. 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 has 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 www.bwanet.org, or sent to:
Baptist World Aid
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
USA
The Baptist World Alliance® (BWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For income tax reporting purposes, donors will receive a receipt for their gift.
BWA Designated Gift Policy: If a disaster appeal or a project is overfunded, our policy is to apply the unused portion to a similar need.
Baptist World Alliance®
© November 6, 2012