Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The King Salman humanitarian aid and relief centre (KSRelief) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have donated and distributed food and flood relief materials to 96, 000 displaced persons in Borno state.
The distributed food items at the El-Miskin Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp comprise 16, 000 food baskets and cooking oil and other basic food items.
Presenting the relief materials for distribution, yesterday (Tuesday), in Maiduguri, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, disclosed that; “The distributed materials are to support people affected by both Boko Haram insurgency, as well as those hit by this year’s flood disasters.
He lamented the displacement of persons and disruptions of various socioeconomic activities in dozens of communities in the state.
According to him, the distributed food and relief materials include 34 bags each of beans, millet, maize, and sorghum, gari, cooking oil, salt, soap and detergent.
Other relief materials distributed, he added comprise 86 bags and cartons each of spaghetti, macaroni and sugar.
Besides the food item, he said: “About 857 bags and packets each of cement, roofing and zinc nails were distributed for the affected households to rebuild houses destroyed in the recent floods.
“The 13-insurgency and flood disasters require interventions from governments, private sector, individuals; as well as the international humanitarian actors across the country.”
He noted that with the commitments of Governor Babagana Zulum, many IDPs have been resettled into 17 communities to restore their livelihoods.
He added that the government of Saudi Arabia has proven to be the real friends and brothers of Nigeria, with the donation of 16, 000 food baskets for distribution to IDPs.
According to him, NEMA’s partnership with the KSRelief dates back to 2018, as the centre donated various relief materials to the vulnerable groups.
“The donation has no doubt saved lives and given hope to the beneficiaries as evident in the positive testimonies of the people,” he said, stating that it will facilitate the resettlement of IDP returnees into the communities.
He said the Dangote Committee has also complemented KSRelief by donating food and non-food items, including building and hygiene kits.
He explained that the relief materials will support the State government recovery processes from the 2022 flood disaster.
“The KSRelief distributed materials could also impact positively on the local economy and enhance to restore the livelihoods of IDPs,” he noted.
The representative of KSRelief, Al-Yusuf Abdulkarim, said that the donated food baskets comprise seven food items including rice, beans and cooking oil.
While appreciating Saudi Arabia for the donations, the Governor said that food items will be equitably distributed to the vulnerable people affected in the over a decade insurgency.
He said that this is the first El-Muskin IDP camp has received relief materials government and other development partners.
He said that the IDPs were displaced from five Councils, including Marte, Guzamala, Dikwa and Abadam, a border community with Niger.
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