The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), has distributed relief materials to victims of recent fire, flood, landslide and other disasters in Calabar.
The distribution, which took place at the CR-SEMA Warehouse along Barrack Road, Calabar, marked the first major relief distribution under the current administration of the Agency led by its Director General, Mr. Efa Nyong.
The intervention targeted affected persons from Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Areas, with the distributed items comprising food and household materials aimed at providing immediate support to families who lost belongings and means of livelihood during the recent disasters.
The items, including bags of rice and beans, cartons of spaghetti, five-litre containers of groundnut oil, tomatoes, salt, detergents, mosquito nets, mattresses and clothing materials, among other essential supplies, provided much-needed relief to the affected families as they continued to recover from the impact of the disasters.
Speaking during the distribution, the Director General of CR-SEMA, Mr. Efa Nyong, recalled that the Agency had earlier visited and assessed several disaster-affected communities across the State.
He said during those assessments, affected persons were assured that government would continue to explore available avenues to provide assistance and relief to those who had suffered losses.
Nyong noted that the intervention represented a continuation of the State Government's efforts to cushion the impact of disasters on affected residents, following earlier measures which included providing temporary accommodation for displaced persons.
He assured the beneficiaries that CR-SEMA would continue to work with NEMA and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that available interventions reached the people who needed them.
Also speaking, the Acting Head of Operations, NEMA, Akwa Ibom/Cross River Operations Office, Mr. Austin Awoji, commended the collaboration between NEMA, CR-SEMA, the Local Emergency Management Committees and other stakeholders in identifying affected persons and facilitating the distribution.
He noted that the intervention was part of the Federal Government's response to the needs of communities affected by disasters and assured residents of NEMA's continued commitment to supporting disaster management efforts in Cross River State.
The Chairman of the Local Emergency Management Committee and Vice Chairman of Calabar Municipality, Hon. Okon Etim Nyong, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, NEMA, the Cross River State Government and CR-SEMA for the intervention.
He said Calabar Municipality had been seriously affected by the recent disasters, describing the relief materials as a welcome source of succour to affected residents.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of Calabar South and Chairman of the Local Emergency Management Committee, Hon. Atim Martin, thanked the Federal and State Governments for the support, describing the intervention as timely for residents who had suffered losses during the recent disasters.
Representatives of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other stakeholders were also present during the distribution as observant of the exercise.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Franklin Usiama, expressed appreciation for the intervention, saying the relief materials would provide significant support after the flood destroyed several of his belongings and food items.
Mr. Usiama, who lives with a physical disability, said coping with the aftermath of the disaster had been particularly difficult, adding that the assistance had provided much-needed relief.
Another beneficiary, Mrs. Rosemary Edet, thanked NEMA and CR-SEMA for fulfilling the assurances earlier given to affected residents.
She expressed appreciation to the Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, the Federal Government and the NEMA Leadership for remembering families affected by the disasters.
By David Asu
