Flood: Emergency Agency commends Delta Govt. for setting up IDP camps

National-Emergency-Management-Agency-(NEMA)

National-Emergency-Management-Agency-(NEMA)

National-Emergency-Management-Agency-(NEMA)

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has lauded the Delta Government for taking proactive measures on flood mitigation by setting up camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) across the state.

NEMA’s South-East Coordinator, Mr Walson Brandon, gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Asaba.

He spoke at the IDP Camp at Ogbeafor Primary School in the Institute of Continue Education.

Brandon, who is also the Incident Commander, Emergency Operations Centre, Anambra and Delta States, said the camp could accommodate between 200 and 300 persons.

“We are here to access the situation on ground as in the number of women, children and men that are here as well as the facilities, including water, health centre and security.

“We are here to also see how we can all work together to ensure that the camp is safe.

“We have so far registered 43 women, 23 children and 14 men and registration is ongoing. More people from various displaced communities around Asaba are trooping into the camp,” he said.

He said that the figures kept increasing, adding that the camp was spacious with water facility in place.

“As we were told by the Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa who was here few hours ago, six camps have been opened across the state as at the moment,” Brandon said.

The zonal coordinator said that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), police and other security agencies were on ground to ensure 24 hour security at the camp.

He said that the flood situation was getting worse as water levels kept increasing daily and that more communities were bound to be submerged if the situation subsisted.

He said that NEMA, Delta State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other partners had continued to sensitise the people on the need to leave the flood-prone communities before it was too late.

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“Even as we leave here, we are going to some of the identified communities to call them out to the camp for safety,” he added.

Mrs Bridget Anyafulu, Founder, International Centre for Women Empowerment and Child Development, a non-governmental organisation, said 100 persons including members of the Red Cross were present to attend to the IDPs.

Mrs Blessing Miller, a mother of two whose family was displaced by flood at Anwai Road area of Asaba, narrated her ordeal

She said that the flood entered her home and got to her shoulders before she escaped with her children.

“When I saw the flood coming, I kept some of our loads on the table, but my fear now is that thieves may break into my house to steal those things,” she said.

Another victim Mr Patrick Major, who resides at Powerline in Oko near Asaba, said that the situation there became terrible with the water level rising every hour.

He said that government came to their rescue, adding that other people in the community would relocate to the camp if the situation continued.

According to him, his house and two cassava farms worth about N80,000 have been submerged.

“My wife and four children are here with me in the camp; we arrived yesterday and the camp is good. We thank government for coming to our rescue.

“I am advising those who are still in the flooded communities to come out because it is obvious that with what is on ground, nobody can live in those places,” Major said.

Earlier, Okowa visited the camp and pledged government’s support to the displaced persons, urging those staying behind in the flood-prone areas to relocate to the IDP camps.

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