The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) handed over relief materials to the Enugu State government on Monday for onward distribution to victims of the 2022 floods.

The relief materials were handed over to the Enugu state emergency management agency (ESMA).

They included 1,200 (10kg) bags of rice, 1,200 (10kg) bags of beans, 1,200 (10kg) bags of garri, and 250 (20 litres) kegs of vegetable oil.

Others were 250 cartons of seasoning cubes, 300 cartons of spaghetti, 250 cartons of tomato paste, and 100 bags of iodised salt.

Non-food items were 2,000 pieces of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, 2,000 pieces of blankets, 4,000 pieces of nylon mats, 2,500 pieces of fabric, 2,500 pieces of children’s wear, and 500 packs of diapers.

NEMA also gave 500 packets of sanitary pads, 300 cartons of toilet soap, 300 cartons of disinfectants, 300 cartons of detergents, 200 cooking pots, and 200 cooking stoves.

It gave 900 bags of cement, 400 bundles of roofing sheets, planks, and nails, 1,000 pieces of ceiling board, 150 grinding machines, 150 water pumping machines, and 130 sewing machines.

The items were handed over by the zonal coordinator of NEMA in the Southeast zone, Ngozi Echeazu, on behalf of its director general, Mustapha Ahmed.

She said it was in line with NEMA’s mandate to ensure that all disaster-impacted communities were provided with short-, medium-, and long-term support to enable them to recover.

Ms Echeazu recalled that NEMA carried out damage and needs assessments in six selected council areas impacted by the flood to establish the damages caused and the needs of affected communities.

The council areas were Enugu South, Enugu East, Nkanu East, Awgu, Udenu, and Uzo Uwani.

She said the relief intervention was not compensation but a fulfillment of the Federal Government’s responsibility to support Nigerian citizens in need wherever they lived.

“Let me use this occasion to remind us that recent unpredictable weather conditions associated with climatic variability in Nigeria have aggravated the occurrence of disasters.

“We must constantly evacuate solid wastes that block drainage channels, avoid building on flood plains, and move to higher ground whenever there is an early warning of a flood,’’ she said.

The director-general’s representative commended Gov. Peter Mbah for partnering with NEMA to set up a technical committee on major hazards for the purpose of ensuring effective disaster management.

Receiving the items on behalf of Mr Mbah, secretary to the state government, Chidiebere Onyia, lauded the partnership between Enugu state and NEMA.

He assured that the support would go a long way in rebuilding the victims’ economic base.

In his remarks, the chairman of the association of local governments of Nigeria, Enugu state chapter, Sydney Edeh, pledged that the relief items would be equitably distributed.

“There will be transparency and accountability in the distribution,’’ he said.

Earlier, the acting head of ESMA, Chinasa Mbah, said a lot of communities were affected by the floods, which took lives and destroyed houses, farmlands, domestic animals, businesses, and economic achievements.

(NAN)