For flood victims in Bayelsa State, these are not the best of times given the losses that they have incurred. In this report, EBIOWEI LAWAL, after a visit to the internally displaced persons’ camp, writes about dashed hopes and the burden of starting again.
Flood is becoming one of the most common disasters regularly occurring in Bayelsa State. Barely six years after the 2012 flood ravaged about 95 per cent of the state and left sad memories in the heart of residents, the recent incident has displaced many residents from their homes just as it has also destroyed farm lands, schools and churches.
The current pattern, which experts predicted earlier at the beginning of the year, has shown that the state government and the people didn’t make adequate preparation as drainages and natural waterways were blocked when the flood came. As a consequence of that it left hundreds of victims with tales of woes while the lucky ones are living in fear.
A visit to the Igbogene central camp, in Igbogene community of the state, by our correspondent, where affected residents of the state capital are being housed, showed that more residents were affected by the flood this year than the flooding in 2012 due to poor drainage system.
Walking through the premises of the camp and staring at children who are divided in group of twenty to one room space due to overcrowding, was heart rendering. It was a dehumanizing sight to behold.
The looks of the elderly tell tales of agony, their eye sockets had loosened due to poor meal and sleeping condition. It displayed a metaphor of lack, dejection and an apt representation of want.
According to findings, each Internally Displaced Persons camp scattered across the state held an average of 500 indigenes and non-indigene seeking refuge. A quick glance at the children sleeping on the bare floors of spacious but unkempt rooms better explained the level of devastation of the flood.
A 60-year-old Mrs. Marie Agile, from Ekeremor main town, Ekeremor Local Government area, with five children said, “we have been displaced by the flood and the thoughts of all that we have lost is further aggravating our sufferings. How do I cope with five children in this kind of conditions and place?
“Even when we leave here the property that is lost may never be recovered again. As you can see, this is almost noon and we haven’t had any food. The amount of mosquitoes here can send these children to hospital. And if that happens after we leave this camp, I don’t have money to take them to hospital.”
For Mrs. Daniel Malaya and Mrs Patience Chiboy, from Omoku LGA, both with three children and their husbands, the life of an IDP is like hell on earth for adults, talk more of children.
They said, “Life here is difficult. The food we are given here is not good. We are being fed twice a day, the food is not nourishing at all, especially the soup.”
When she spoke, her shaky voice and tearful eyes completed the story of her agonizing life experience at the camp.
She said, “Our launch is usually our breakfast. We don’t have mosquito nets, as you can see, I am carrying my four-year old son and six- month old baby who looks so sick.”
According to Roseline Andrew, for the past ten days in the camp, she had no option but to sleep with seven children on bare floor, and that in spite of the cold at night they endure the pain.
Explaining further she said, “we know this is not our home and we don’t expect all the comfort but we see different groups, government and other well-meaning Bayelsans coming to donate food items and other relief material but we don’t get to use them. Though we have money to buy things we need to cook and eat but the challenge is where to sleep.
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At the time our correspondent visited the camp, a long convoy of trucks with other buses led by a team from the leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, were seen arriving the camp with food items and other relief materials.
The team leader of the Chief, Timipre Sylva, flood relief materials distribution, Hon. Ibarakumo Otobo, immediately led the team to the management of the camp, explaining that he was sent from the leadership of the party in the state.
He said the gesture was a token to make life more meaningful for those affected by the flood residing in the camp, adding that the team was personally there to ensure the items donated get to the actual beneficiaries.
He also noted that the donations to the refugee camp has no political inclination or sentiment attached, adding that they are all Bayelsans so they must also show that they also feel the impulse of the people in time of circumstances like this.
In his reaction, Director of Information, Bayelsa State Emergency Agency, Mr. Aziowei Ayii, commended the team for the show of love and assistance to the displaced persons in the camp, adding that all measure to ensure only the affected persons get the items is been implored and followed.
While taking the team round the camp, he explained that over a thousand displaced persons had been relocated since the beginning of the camping, adding that the process for donations, distribution, feeding and security is been documented to avoid discrepancies and controversies.
He also gave the records of pregnant women who gave birth at the camp, and said their children are in good conditions. He noted that the medical teams are working round the clock to ensure the people get adequate health services, adding that all the items are kept in a safe place.
On the issue of uncomfortable sleep space some of the refugees complained about, he said government had made enough provision for the persons but what they do is hide most of the things collected to get more.
“We are doing all to ensure every material received is shared amongst all the camps effectively. We have a profiling list of every material brought and the number of IDPs in the camp.
“They have coordinators who are in charge of the different groups, like you can see people bringing money; I direct that the money be given to the nursing mothers directly in order to avoid controversies.
“The state government is doing so much to ensure that their stay here is safe, we have the medical team around who attends to them all. We also commend other donors for their support in coming to the aide of the flood victims,” he said.
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