Governor Babagana Zulum has called for the support of the National Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders to resettle victims of the flood disaster in their respective communities.

Mr Zulum made the call while receiving the NEMA director-general, who was in Maiduguri, to monitor and step up the interventions by NEMA and other stakeholders.

He said there were 36 camps open to cater for the displaced.

“These camps will be closed down gradually as the Alau dam flood water continues to recede. The state suffered a lot from the experience of sustaining camps for more than a decade during the insurgency and will not want to repeat the mistake again. 

“As the water recedes, we have resolved to provide a two-week food ration for those in the camps because we believed after two weeks things would be okay for many to return to their homes,” he said.

He urged NEMA to work with SEMA and the flood committee set up so that they would be on the same page for proper coordination of the responses to the emergency. 

“There’s a need for coordination to get it right since we are all working towards the same objective of bringing succour to the people. The State Government and NEMA will take the lead while donors and development partners are to complement them,” Mr Zulum said.

NEMA chief Hajiya Zubaida Umar said she was in Borno to monitor and step up interventions and identify gaps to be filled.

Ms Umar said that since the occurrence of the incident on Monday, NEMA has been working closely with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the state Disaster Response Unit. 

“We have been able to provide interventions in terms of food and non-food items, water, ambulances, tents and other things within our capabilities. We are still part of the search and rescue team,” Ms Umar stated.

She lauded the leadership exhibited by Mr Zulum and his team in handling the situations since the incident happened and assured him of sustained support from NEMA.

She announced the donation of 50 tonnes of relief materials from the United Arab Emirates to be distributed to Borno and other states affected by floods. 

(NAN)