The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to 13, 299 households affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Gombe State.

Speaking at the inauguration of the distribution in Kwami community in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe state on Wednesday, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya commended the federal government for the gesture.

Mr Yahaya, who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Ibrahim Njodi, said the materials would assist the beneficiaries cushion the impact of the flood which ravaged several communities in the state.

He appealed to beneficiaries to make good use of the items while warning against selling the items given to them to alleviate poverty as well as empower them economically.

The governor also called on those distributing the materials to ensure that only the targeted persons and the vulnerable were reached with the relief materials.

He assured that the state government would soon roll out its palliatives across the state to help citizens cushion the impact of subsidy removal and the current hardship being faced by Nigerians.

Speaking earlier, Yusuf Isah, chief administration officer, NEMA, Abuja, said the items being distributed comprised food and non-food materials.

Isah said the gesture was under the special national economic and livelihood emergency intervention (SNELEI), aimed at bringing succour to victims and vulnerable persons in Gombe State.

He said the food items distributed included rice, beans, sorghum, maggie, salt and vegetable oil, blankets, mats, mosquito nets and detergents.

He listed the non-food items to include sewing machines, grinding machines, water pumps for dry season farmers, sprayers, fertilisers, herbicides and seedlings.

“We are here in Kwami to inaugurate the distribution and over 13,000 households will be captured in the state.

“As for Kwami LG, there are over 1,300 that will benefit and from tomorrow (Thursday), we will continue with other local governments until we cover the whole state,” he said.

Haruna Abdullahi, the executive secretary of Gombe state emergency management agency, commended the federal government and NEMA for coming to the aid of flood victims in the state.

Mr Abdullahi said the 2022 flood caused extensive damage in 33 communities across the state.

“The sad incidence has caused the loss of 13 human lives in four Local Government Areas of Funakaye, Kwami, Yamaltu Deba, and Kaltungo with property estimated at millions of naira lost.”

One of the beneficiaries, Adamu Jibril, said the impact of the flood in their community was severe and rendered many poor.

Mr Jibril said that the flood had washed two hectares of his farmland and left him sad.

“But today, with what I have been given, I feel happy and thankful to the Federal Government, NEMA and the Gombe State government, too,” he said.

Other beneficiaries said they would start small businesses to assist their households with the empowerment packages they had received.

(NAN)