The South South Development Commission (SSD), has commenced assessment of erosion-ravaged communities in Cross River State as part of efforts to coordinate a regional response to the devastating flooding and erosion affecting the state and other parts of the South-South.
The exercise began yesterday when the managing director of the commission, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, led a delegation comprising executive directors and the state’s representative on the board on an assessment visit to affected communities and an Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camp in the state.
The visit, according to the commission, underscores the federal government’s resolve to provide humanitarian support and long-term mitigation measures.
Speaking during the visit, Akpabio said the commission was compelled to prioritize the humanitarian emergency despite its early stage of institutional setup.
“When lives are at risk, leadership must be present. We had to cut short all official engagements because this is about people, families and communities whose lives have been disrupted.
 Nothing is more important to us than responding to a humanitarian emergency,” she said.
She expressed deep sympathy to affected families who have lost loved ones, livelihoods and their sense of security.
 “On behalf of the South South Development Commission, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to every affected family and community. We stand with you during this difficult time,” she added.
 She stated that the commission would prioritize disaster response and humanitarian interventions across the region.
Akpabio disclosed that the assessment which started in Cross River will be extended to other affected states in the South-South to enable a coordinated regional intervention.
“Following this visit, the commission will undertake similar assessments across affected states so that we can develop a coordinated regional response rather than isolated interventions,” she said.
 She attributed the increasing disasters to climate change, stressing that “Climate change is no longer a future conversation; it is a present reality.”
She commended the Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu for engaging intervention agencies, as well as the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other first responders.
 “The South South Development Commission will work closely with the Cross River State Government and relevant stakeholders across the region to support humanitarian relief efforts.
“This visit is not the end of our engagement; it is the beginning of partnerships,” she said.
 Responding, the Director-General of the Cross River SEMA, Efa Nyong, thanked the Federal Government and the SSDC for the timely visit, saying, “This visit has reassured affected communities that they have not been abandoned.”
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