The North East Development Commission (NEDC) on Saturday donated food and non-food items to persons affected by flood disaster in Adamawa.

NEDC’s Managing Director, Mohammed Goni, stated this while presenting the items to the Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Ahmad, in Yola.

He said the items are part of fulfilment of a promise made during the last humanitarian summit in Maiduguri to “assist all the states in the North East, to cushion the effects of hardship in the region.”

He said the commission’s donation was based on a directive of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

He lauded the state government for supporting the victims, adding that “we have already talked with the state government asking on how we are going to collaborate to sustain the situation.

“And I am sure the state government will give us areas we are supposed to intervene immediately as we used to get full cooperation in the past,” he said.

Mr Goni listed the items to include 100,000 bags of 25kg of rice; 5,000 pieces of blankets; 5,000 pieces of mats; 5,000 gallons of vegetable oil; 3,000 pieces each of female, male and children wears, among others.

In his remark, Mr Ahmad said the gesture would cushion the effects of the disaster on the victims and promised fair distribution of the items to the victims.

Also, Suleiman Muhammad, Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), said that 51 persons lost their lives and 79 others injured in the disaster.

He said the flood displaced 10,000 persons and destroyed 20,000 hectares of farmlands across 21 local government areas of the state.

(NAN)