The Federal Government on Tuesday released food and other essential items to victims of last year’s flood in Rivers State.
Last year, according to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) floods ravaged several parts of the county of which 3,219,780 persons, with no fewer than 612 were killed.
Of the over three million persons affected by the floods, 1,427,370 persons were internally displaced and 181,600 houses were partially damaged, and another 123,807 houses were totally damaged.
Rivers State was among one of the most hit with several communities in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Abua/Odual and parts of other local government areas feeling the effects most.
There to receive the relief items on behalf of the National Emergency Management Agency in Port Harcourt were officials from the Ministry of Niger Delta
Thousands of bags of rice and garri, mattresses, shovels, cutlasses, cement, stoves, noodles, and good quantities of perishable items are among the items being donated through the Ministry of Niger Delta.
The relief materials were symbolically being handed over to the National Emergency Management Agency in two warehouses owned by NEMA in Port Harcourt for distribution to the beneficiaries.
The Director, of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Niger Delta, Alfred Abah who represented the Minister expressed optimism that the items will help minimize the sufferings of the victims.
Receiving the items, the South-South Coordinator of NEMA, Godwin Tepikor stated the distribution of the essential items will begin in a week’s time.
Also present for the presentation of the materials were the representatives of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chukwudi Dimkpa and the Rivers State Government, Friday Mbakpone who praised the Federal Government for the gesture.