NEMA donates relief materials to Anambra flood victims

THE aftermath visit of the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo, to Anambra state to assess the damage caused by this year flood, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated relief materials worth several millions of naira to victims of flood disaster in Anambra State.

Mr Walson Ibarakuno-Barandon, Co-ordinator NEMA, South East Zone handed over the materials to Mr Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Saturday in Awka, the Anambra State Capital.

The 17 materials donated were food and non-food items like; 600 bags of rice, 300 bags of garri, 600 bags of cement, 200 cartons of Milo, 300 bags of beans, 1,000 cartons of omo and 300 cartons of tin tomato.

Other items were; 2,000 pieces of treated mosquito nets, 1,000 pieces of toilet soap, 1,500 pieces of printed wax, 150 kegs of vegetable oil, 150 bags of salts, 150 bags of sugar and 150 kegs of red oil among others.

Ibarakuno-Barandon said the materials were meant to alleviate the sufferings of victims of the flood disaster in parts of Anambra State.

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Nine out of 21 local government areas in Anambra located close to the River Niger were named among places that would possibly witness flood disaster this year by weather experts.

The NEMA official explained that the agency brought the items to cushion the effects of the disaster, adding that NEMA emergency assessment team would commence on-the-spot assessment of the areas hit by flood Sept.22.

“The assessment by our team would enable the agency have adequate account of the impact of the disaster to enable us make proper recommendations to the federal government for further actions’’, he said.

He urged the state to see the relief materials as symbolic showing that the federal government under President Mohammadu Buhari shares the pains of the flood victims in Anambra.

“No amount of relief materials given to victims of disaster would be enough to take care of their losses, the federal government is trying to give succour to the victims through this donation’’, he said.

Chief Paul Odenigbo, Executive Secretary SEMA, who responded on behalf of Anambra State Government, expressed gratitude to the federal government for their prompt intervention.

“What they have brought, it would go a long way in assisting the flood victims in the various camps.

“We have made a case to the federal government and what NEMA brought today if we add it to donations from other organisations people in the various IDP camps would not go hungry ’’, he said.

Odenigbo said apart from the provision of food and non-food materials, the state ministries of Environment, Health and Public Utilities were working tirelessly to ensure proper hygienic environment in the camps to avoid outbreak of diseases.

He, however, advised those staying in the camps to cooperate with relevant camp officials noting that as soon as the water recedes they would return to their communities.

Anambra State government established 28 Internally Displaced Persons camps across the state in readiness for the 2018 flooding predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.