The Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday distributed relief materials to the 2022 flood victims in Edo State
Umana Okon Umana, minister of Niger Delta Affairs, while handing over the presidential palliatives to the emergency management agency for distribution to the victims in Benin City, said it was in addition to earlier assistance given to the affected states.
Umana, represented by Matthew Pukuma, a director in the ministry, said despite the prediction by relevant agencies, the density of the flood was beyond imagination as it was the worst going by its destructive effect on the people and the entire ecosystem of the Niger Delta.
The modalities adopted for the distribution of the relief items, he said, was identified by NEMA through the needs assessment conducted after the flood. He said that government officials and security personnel have been assigned to monitor the distribution exercise to forestall possible diversion and ensure that they get to the beneficiaries.
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He grouped the materials approved for distribution into four- social relief care packs which include mattresses, pillows, blankets and cooking pots.
Others are “nutritional packs which include cartons of noodles, bags of rice, bags of beans. Livelihood items such as grinding machine, sewing machine, and hair clippers, and lastly: building materials which include cement, roofing sheet and ceiling board.
“We are aware that no amount of relief provided by the government can replace the losses as a result of the flood. However, we believe that the relief items will help alleviate the burden currently faced by our people,” Umana added.
Dahiru Yusuf, Edo State coordinator of NEMA, on his part, said the relief materials comprised 31 items and the first phase of the palliative distribution was for seven local government areas in Edo, including Esan South East, Esan North East, Ovia North East, Etsako East, Estako West, Oredo and Ikpoba Okha, assuring that other council areas would benefit subsequently.
