The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced distribution of relief items to communities affected by rainstorms in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia.
The items were handed over to the representatives of the affected communities by NEMA, in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), on Thursday in Umuahia.
The four communities that benefitted from the food and nonfood items included Umuosoihe, Umuada-Ukwu, Umunkpaji and Umuwanda.
The items are bags of rice, gari, beans, salt, gallons of vegetable oil, cartons of tomato paste sachet, bundles of Ankara wrappers and plastic plates and spoons.
The Head of Operations, NEMA Owerri office, Mr Nnamdi Igwe, said the agency quickly conducted on-the-spot assessment of flood disaster in those communities immediately it was informed by SEMA.
Mr Igwe, represented by Mr Quintus Oramalu, Head of Department, Disaster Risk Reduction, NEMA, Owerri, said that the importance of the items given to the beneficiaries could not be overemphasised.
According to him, it will go a long way in mitigating the impact of the disaster.
He thanked the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, for her quick approval and immediate intervention, after the office had sent a report concerning the disaster.
“We want to passionately appeal to the community leaders present to ensure that the people affected receive these items,” he said.
In a brief remark, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Sunday Jackson, expressed gratitude to NEMA for always coming to the rescue of the state “whenever the need arises.”
Mr Jackson, while receiving the relief items from NEMA, assured that it would get to the targeted beneficiaries to ameliorate their sufferings.
“These are not enough compared to what we have lost in the course of the 2024 flood disaster but they are to mitigate its impact.
“In fact, the magnitude of the flood disaster is really overwhelming and it is far beyond the capacity of the state government to cope.
“We will still follow up on these representatives here to ensure that the items get to the right persons,” Mr Jackson said.
The SEMA boss thanked Governor Alex Otti for the enabling environment for the agency to operate and for supporting disaster reduction activities in the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Chigozie Ekeleme, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the federal and state governments for coming to their rescue in time of crisis.
“I’m a native of Umuosoiihe; I have never expected that this kind of thing is real, but today I have come to see and witness myself.
“I want to thank NEMA and SEMA for making sure that these items get to the remote village like mine,” Mr Ekeleme said.
(NAN)
