The Federal Government has distributed food items, clothing and other household materials to victims of flood and other natural and human induced disaster in Lagos.
The items were distributed on Tuesday through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, the Director-General, NEMA, said that in the last couple of weeks, several states of the federation, including Lagos, suffered widespread flood disasters.
Represented by Dr Bandele Onimode, Director, Special Duties, NEMA, Ahmed said that the flood resulted in the loss of lives, human displacement, loss of means of livelihood and socio-economic dislocation.
He said that the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA had continuously worked with critical stakeholders, including but not limited to the state Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources.
He added that the Lagos office had also worked closely with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service to respond and conduct damage/loss assessments to guide relief interventions to persons in need of support.
Ahmed said that the results of the assessment showed that 24,131 households were affected by the flashfloods and seven deaths.
He said that 920 houses were affected, 300 cultivated hectares of rice, cassava and yam farmlands were also submerged.
He added that livestock, including cattles, goats, turkey and piggery were not spared.
Ahmed said that after the assessment report was submitted to the supervising ministry, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains, from the National Strategic Reserve for distribution to the affected states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items distributed included rice, beans, maize, salt, vegetable oil, seasoning cubes, tin tomatoes, nylon mats, treated mosquito nets, and bathing soaps.
Others were Guinea brocade, children’s wear, women and men’s wears, maize, sorghum and garri.
Ahmed said that the items had since been delivered to the state government to assist the most vulnerable groups.
NEMA said that the grains would be distributed directly to the deserving persons in collaboration with the state government, senators from the state, and the honourable minister representing the state.
“In addition to this, NEMA has delivered relief materials (food and non-food items) to support persons affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Lagos State,” Ahmed said.
He noted that that no government in the world can compensate individual loses from disaster occurrence.
“In the same vein, the Federal Government, through NEMA, cannot compensate persons impacted/traumatised by disasters.
“Yet, all have responsibility to help them get back and restart their normal life by assisting them with the type of relief presented today.
“The relief intervention is a testimony that the Federal Government, through NEMA is always concerned about the welfare and wellbeing of the good people of Lagos,” Ahmed said.
He appealed to the Lagos State Government to further enhance the capacities of Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) in all the 20 LGAs of the state to enable them implement and take disaster risk strategies in line with global best practices.
He added that the practice of waiting for disasters to occur before reacting was no longer in vogue globally.
“Disasters are always local, the lifesaving first responders are always local,” Ahmed said.
The director-general said that it would be involving the officials of LASEMA in a high level International Disaster Management Training organised by the Bournemouth University Disaster Management Center. (NAN)