The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Monday that it received relief materials from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support flood victims across Nigeria.

The director general of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, announced this in a statement on X, saying the UAE government handed over 50 tons of humanitarian aid.

“On behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, we received 50 tons of humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support those affected by recent floods across the country,” said Ms Umar.

She added, “The relief materials, delivered to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, were handed over by UAE ambassador Salem Alshamsi.”

The NEMA DG appreciated the Emirates’ gesture and assured that the materials would be distributed to areas affected by floods to assist victims.

“The aid will be promptly distributed to flood-affected areas to help alleviate the suffering of the impacted communities across the country,” she stated.

The latest flood disaster occurred on September 9, when the Alau Dam on the Ngadda River in Maiduguri, Borno state, collapsed, killing at least 30 residents and affecting over one million others.

The flood displaced people and wild animals, such as ostriches, crocodiles, snakes and others, from a local zoo to the streets, while some prisoners also escaped from a local prison.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had, in May, predicted that 148 local government areas (LGAs) in 31 states would be affected by flood during the rainy season.

It added while 249 LGAs in 35 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, will experience moderate flood risk, the remaining 377 LGAs are considered low flood-risk areas.