The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD) on Wednesday said it had trained over 100 women affected by flood on crisis impact mitigation.

Miss Mercy Joshua, Project Manager, ICEHD, said in a statement that the capacity building trainings were held in Bakare, Ketu, Lagos State.

Joshua said that the beneficiaries were also provided with business support resources to strengthen their capacity to access skills, resources and opportunities to address climate challenges and boost farm production.

She said that the ICEHD training had the theme: “Empowering Women Against Crisis – Flood And Natural Disasters Project.”

The project manager said that from May 2022, the flooding in Nigeria became extremely devastating with significant adverse impact, particularly, on many impoverished households in the southern parts of the country.

“The flooding has been severe with rainfall being higher than usual, exacerbating the effects of the annual release of excess water from the Dam in River Benue in Nigeria.

“Also, climate change significantly contributes to flooding in Nigeria, as climate shift increases the intensity and frequency of storms and upward trend in extreme rainfall.

“The general effect of the crisis is that many have been killed as a result, many households displaced with thousands of houses, hectares of farmlands and crops destroyed.

“Healthcare challenges have increased with the spread of waste materials transported by the flood, causing a proliferation of infectious diseases and increase in infection rates, particularly in many rural hard-to-reach locations.

“This is where there is little or no access to clean water, skilled medical and healthcare services/interventions.

“It is nearly impossible to access health interventions due to non-availability of resources in many of the affected locations,” she said.

Joshua noted that this situation had resulted in a struggle against hunger, malnutrition, diseases, ill-health and poverty.

“Our women have become prone to increased ill-health, as they are also faced with real health difficulties as a result of lack of healthcare resources in these locations, especially for pregnant women and women with health challenges.

“There is a need for urgent intervention to mitigate the impacts of the flood on these women by provision of humanitarian emergency support resources, restoring livelihoods and farming activities.

“This will also include healthcare interventions.

“These interventions will, therefore, help the women adapt and be resilient to the current crisis, and health conditions in order to keep them economically engaged, safe, healthy and out of danger.

“ICEHD has had series of engagements with community leaders, local government officials and women living in locations affected by flood within the governing space of Kosofe Local Government Area which includes Agboyi/Ikosi-Isheri LCDAs

“ICEHD with support from Global Fund For Women (GFW) embarked upon the two-year project, with the first year in Lagos.

“It is focused on empowering women that are victims of flood crisis with knowledge, skills, humanitarian/business resources to adapt and be resilient to the current crisis and health conditions.

“This will in turn, keep them economically engaged, safe, healthy and out of danger,” she said.

Joshua said that working with the Women Affairs Department, environment and health department of Agboyi and Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Areas, 100 women farmers had been trained in Ketu and Kosofe environs.

“The aim is to boost their income and means of sustenance leading to increased economic security, financial independence, economic and environmental justice.

“This will also lead to increased access of children, especially girls to education and continued learning,” she said.

She added that the trained women received humanitarian support for damaged properties, business support resources to enhance economic development.

Joshua added that the women were equipped with flood information knowledge on strategies to mitigate the impact of future flood occurrences.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ICEHD is a non-governmental, non-profit making organisation established in 2004.

The organisation works for the promotion of the rights to health, the right to development and empowering of women and girls by improving access to socioeconomic opportunities, reproductive health services and viable livelihoods.