NEMA Presents 18,653 Bags Of Rice, Others To Flood Victims

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has handed over 18, 653 bags of 10kg rice and 50 tons (1,696 cartons) of humanitarian relief aid to states affected by flood and other disasters in the country.

The rice and relief aids were donated by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) resepectively to support the ongoing efforts of the federal and state governments in mitigating the impact of the recent disasters in the country.

Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar said the donations of relief materials by both BoI and the government of UAE symbolise the manifestation of deep sympathy for people severely impacted by disasters on the one hand. „The gestures further entrench the essence of multi-stakeholder and multi-national approach to disaster management in global perspective,“ the DG stated yesterday at the handing over ceremony in Abuja.

BoI donated about 18,779 bags of 10kg rice to NEMA. The rice was shared to six states to assist internally displaced persons in IDPs camps in the states, according to Umar.

She said the selection of the beneficiary states was based on the number of IDPs in the state, the urgency and severity of needs of the affected persons. The states are: Imo State, 3,500 bags; Benue State, 3,000 bags; Plateau State, 1,669 bags; Jigawa State, 3,000 bags; Katsina State, 3,850 bags; Zamfara State, 3,634 bags.

The donation of 50 tons of humanitarian relief aid by the UAE is made up of 1,696 cartons; and each carton contains 20 assorted food items.

The UAE donation was shared to 10 states considered highly impacted by the 2024 flood, the urgency and severity of needs of the affected persons.

The beneficiary states are; Borno State, 256 cartons; Bauchi State, 160 cartons; Sokoto State, 160 cartons;

Adamawa State, 160 cartons; Kano State, 160 cartons; Bayelsa State, 160 cartons.

Others are Ondo State, 160 cartons; Abia State, 160 cartons; Rivers State, 160 cartons and Enugu State, 160 cartons.

Over 180 LGAs across the country have been impacted by flooding in 2024 alone, affecting over one million persons, with over 600,000 persons displaced and over 280 deaths.

She said both BoI and the UAE government

have come at the right time and will go a long way in complementing the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria in providing succour to persons affected by flood and other disasters across the country.

„I urge the beneficiary states to ensure that the donated items are judiciously and transparently distributed to persons affected by flood and other disasters to mitigate their sufferings,“ the DG said.