NOA calls for sustained humanitarian assistance to flood victims, communities

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called for sustained humanitarian assistance to flood victims and affected communities.

NOA Director-General, Dr Garba Abari, made the appeal on Thursday at a news conference in Abuja.

”The situation calls for urgent intervention by well-meaning Nigerians and organisations.

”It is, by no means, a burden that government alone can bear.

“The existential challenge of the current flooding in parts of Nigeria is one of such national trying moments that call for every one of us to summon that humanity and brotherly compassion that Nigerians are known for.

“We must rise up to answer the clarion call of being our brothers’ keepers in this time of need. It is a time when those who can help must reach out a hand to those who need help.

“NOA mandate is to encourage the people to actively and freely participate in discussions and decisions on matters affecting the general welfare of all Nigerians and our country.

“We, therefore, call on all citizens, individual and corporate, to mobilise and send aids to flood ravaged individuals and communities, both in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and elsewhere,’’  he said.

According to him, faith based organisations and non-governmental organisations are particularly encouraged to organise and mobilise their members to provide relief to affected communities.

“The general public is called upon to provide aids such as foodstuff, drinking water, beddings, blankets, wrappers, camping gas, cooking utensils, detergents, sanitary packs, toiletries, mosquito nets and medications to the victims of flood.

“These aids, be they financial, material or physical, will go a long way to ameliorate the sufferings of our compatriots,’’ he said.

The director-general said that the humanitarian crisis was stretching the contingency plans of most of the affected states to their limits.

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He said that the recent warning from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) stated that in spite of concerted efforts to mitigate the consequences, some states would still experience floods.

“States like Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa are still at risk of experiencing floods up till the end of November this year,’’ he said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had said that  in the last eight months, floods in Nigeria, mostly flash floods, had ravaged 33 out of 36 states and the FCT.

NEMA said thereby affecting over 508,000 persons, and leading to about 372 deaths.

It added that, 277 persons were injured and about 37,633 houses destroyed with loss of huge numbers of livestock and several farmland submerged by the flood, mostly in Adamawa, Jigawa, Taraba, Kano, Bauchi, Niger, Anambra, and Ebonyi.