The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief items to communities affected by rainstorms in the Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia.

The items were handed over to the representatives of the affected communities by NEMA in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Thursday in Umuahia, the state capital.

The four communities that benefitted from the food and nonfood items included Umuosoihe, Umuada-Ukwu, Umunkpaji and Umuwanda.

The items are bags of rice, gari, beans, salt, gallons of vegetable oil, cartons of tomato paste sachet, bundles of Ankara wrappers and plastic plates and spoons.

The Head of Operations, NEMA Owerri office, Nnamdi Igwe, said the agency quickly conducted an on-the-spot assessment of flood disasters in those communities immediately after SEMA informed them.

Mr Igwe, represented by Quintus Oramalu, Head of Department, Disaster Risk Reduction, NEMA, Owerri, said the items will go a long way in mitigating the impact of the disaster.

He thanked the director-general of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, for her quick approval and immediate intervention after the office had sent a report concerning the disaster.

“We want to passionately appeal to the community leaders present to ensure that the people affected receive these items,” he said.

In a brief remark, the executive secretary of SEMA, Sunday Jackson, expressed gratitude to NEMA for always coming to the state’s rescue “whenever the need arises.”

Mr Jackson, while receiving relief items from NEMA, assured that they would be sent to the targeted beneficiaries to ameliorate their sufferings.

He said, “These are not enough compared to what we have lost in the course of the 2024 flood disaster, but they are to mitigate its impact.

“We will still follow up on these representatives here to ensure the items get to the right persons.”

The SEMA boss thanked Governor Alex Otti for providing an environment that enabled the agency to operate.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Chigozie Ekeleme, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the federal and state governments for coming to their rescue in times of crisis.

(NAN)