The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday commenced distribution of relief materials to 7,374 households in Abia communities affected by the 2022 flood disaster.
NEMA’s director-general, Mustapha Ahmed, said during the distribution in Umuahia that the items would be shared with the affected persons in 15 local government areas of the state.
Mr Ahmed, represented by a NEMA official, Johnson Andero, said the exercise was part of the 2023 National Special Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI) programme for those affected by the 2022 flood disaster and the most vulnerable people.
He said the federal government approved the special intervention based on the assessments jointly conducted by NEMA and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The NEMA boss said the intervention was expected to drive the sustainable socio-economic resilience of the targeted most vulnerable individuals.
The executive secretary of SEMA, Abia, Sunday Jackson, thanked the federal government for the intervention, saying that it would help to bring about normalcy, especially to those who lost their means of livelihood.
“I’m particularly happy because in 2020, we had 3,900 beneficiaries but today, we are having 7,374 across 15 LGAs, which is a remarkable improvement.
“We believe that the federal government will still do more by increasing the number because the entire 17 LGAs are being affected by flooding,” he said.
Also speaking, Governor Alex Otti commended the federal government for the intervention, saying it was a demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s passion for the care of the poor and the most vulnerable in the society.
Mr Otti, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Monica Ironkwe, advised the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously to enhance their standard of living.
A beneficiary, Daniel Okezie, who was given a sewing machine, expressed gratitude and promised to use it judiciously.
The relief materials, worth millions of naira, include food items, livelihood support tools, and seedlings, among others.
(NAN)