EU, Red Cross distribute hygiene kits to 500 women affected by 2024 Kogi floods

The European Humanitarian Aid, in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross, has distributed hygiene and sanitary items to 500 women affected by the 2024 flood disaster in Kogi State.

The items were provided by the EU under its 2024 Integrated Flood Response intervention project, through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The 500 beneficiaries comprised 220 women from four communities in Lokoja, 160 from four communities in Kogi, and 120 from three communities in Idah.

The Acting Branch Secretary of the Kogi State branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, while speaking with newsmen on Saturday, stated that the initiative was a follow-up to the relief items and cash donated to 1,100 households by the organisation in December 2024, in response to the flood disaster in the state.

According to him, this particular project covers 500 women of childbearing age across 11 communities in three local government areas—Lokoja, Kogi, and Idah LGAs.

“The communities include Galilee, Kasuwan Ruwa, Sarkin-Noma, Edo, and Kanpe in Lokoja LGA; Onumaye, Edegaki, Ogbangede, and Irenedu in Kogi LGA; and Ala-Ichala, Ala-Atanegoma, and Als-Ofukpoju communities in Idah LGA.

“Our priority this time around is sanitation because when floods occur, numerous issues arise, including health challenges, which remain our primary concern.

“The beneficiaries are mothers within childbearing age, who were randomly selected across these communities in the three local government areas,” he said.

He stressed that the EU, through its intervention project in partnership with the Red Cross, had provided relief and recovery support to thousands of flood-affected households in various states.

Abubakar urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the items to ensure proper menstrual hygiene and sanitation.

He also advised residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning signs and relocate to higher ground for their safety as the rainy season approaches.

“The flood will definitely come, as predicted by NiMet, so prevention is always better and safer than cure,” he added.

“We also appeal to local community leaders to identify highland areas ahead of time, so residents can relocate before their communities become flooded.”

The distribution of items was carried out consecutively across the three local government areas.

Some beneficiaries, including Sefinat Umar from Lokoja, Farida Ibrahim from Kogi, and Victoria Ubani from Idah, spoke to journalists in their respective LGAs and expressed gratitude to the Red Cross and the European Union Humanitarian Aid for their support.

“We really appreciate the European Union and the Red Cross for this gesture—they have truly helped us.

“They provided relief items such as 20-litre jerrycans, buckets, Aqua tabs, and ATM preloaded cards with ₦77,000 each in December 2024, which greatly helped us meet our immediate needs.

“We are grateful to the EU and the Red Cross for coming again to provide sanitary items and other essentials. May God bless them,” Ibrahim said.

The distributed items included Dettol, bathing and washing soaps, reusable sanitary pads, underwear, creams, detergents, toothpaste and toothbrushes, slippers, torches, and other essentials.

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