At least 10 people have died after weeks of relentless rainfall triggered devastating floods and landslides across Calabar, the capital of Cross River State in southern Nigeria, leaving communities shattered and raising fresh concerns over the growing impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
Among the victims were children trapped beneath collapsing homes, a father buried in mud while attempting to rescue his family, and a one-year-old child swept away by raging floodwaters. Entire neighborhoods have been inundated, homes destroyed, roads cut off, and hundreds of residents displaced as torrential rains continue to batter the city.
Authorities say the scale of destruction has overwhelmed the state’s emergency response capacity. The most recent disaster occurred at Diamond Hill, where a major landslide swept several houses into the sea and severely damaged a key road leading to the Nigerian Navy base and Calabar Jetty.
Cross River State Deputy Governor Peter Odey described the unfolding situation as an ecological emergency, warning that without urgent intervention, more communities could be lost to flooding and landslides. He appealed to Nigeria’s Federal Government to deploy technical expertise and emergency resources, stressing that the crisis extends beyond the state’s ability to manage alone.
Environmental experts have linked the worsening disasters to extensive deforestation across Cross River’s tropical rainforest, which has reduced the land’s natural ability to absorb heavy rainfall. Recent findings indicate that thousands of hectares of forest were destroyed by illegal logging, mining, and expanding agricultural activities, increasing the region’s vulnerability to floods.
Emergency officials, including teams from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have begun assessing affected communities, while state authorities continue efforts to secure damaged areas and assist displaced families. With meteorologists warning that more heavy rainfall may follow, officials are urging swift action to prevent a larger humanitarian crisis.
The tragedy has renewed calls for stronger climate adaptation measures, forest conservation, and improved urban drainage systems as African cities face increasingly severe weather linked to changing climate patterns.
