The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Friday, commenced distribution of relief materials to persons affected by windstorm and flood disasters in Abia communities.

Head, NEMA Owerri operations office, Ifeanyi Nnaji, said during the flag-off in Umuahia that the disasters occurred in some communities in five local government areas (LGA) in March.

He said that the affected local government areas are Umuahia North, Ikwuano, Arochukwu, Ohafia and Bende.

Mr Nnaji said that a joint team of assessors from his office and Abia State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the damage to determine the need analysis of the affected persons.

According to him, the problems with disasters are enormous and aftermaths of it are sorrow, isolation, grief, anguish, hunger and colossal loss of lives and poverties.

Presenting the items to the state government, Mr Nnaji acknowledged that the affected communities and persons were traumatised psychologically, thereby reducing their participation and contribution to national development.

“You should please note that the relief materials provided to you today are not to pay you back for all that was destroyed by the disaster but only to cushion the effect of the unfortunate incident.

“I, therefore, on behalf of the director-general of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, formally present these items to the affected persons through your good offices,” he said.

Receiving the materials on behalf of the secretary to the state government, Kenneth Kalu, the executive secretary of SEMA, Sunday Jackson, thanked the federal government for approving the relief assistance to the victims.

He said that it would cushion the effect of the disasters that had ravaged so many homes and displaced so many persons.

Mr Jackson also appreciated the synergy between SEMA and NEMA Owerri office under the leadership of Mr Nnaji.

He assured that the relief materials would be transparently and jointly distributed to affected persons by officials of NEMA, SEMA and representatives of the community and other relevant stakeholders.

The materials comprised food and non-food items, including 10-kg bags of rice, beans and garri, sets of cooking pots, stoves, set of buckets, nylon mats, men and women’s wear and others.
(NAN)