By Khalid Idris Doya
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Farouk has said that her ministry is working with the Military Disaster Response Units and other stakeholders with specialized skills and equipment to use other means to reach hard-to-reach states and local government areas and people at risk of floods that devastated the country.
The minister explained that while specialized teams of her ministry and NEMA are on ground, she has been notified that there are still some states and local governments that are inaccessible and hard to reach those that were affected by the floods,
Hajiya Sadiya Farouk while giving an update situation report on the flood disaster in the country during a press briefing Tuesday, said that so far there are 3, 219, 780 persons affected by the 2022 floods in the country.
Sadiya also revealed that 612 were killed by the incident, and 2, 776 persons were injured, while 1, 427, 370 persons have been internally displaced as of this day, 24th October, 2022.
She disclosed that 123,807 houses have been totally damaged, and another 181,600 Houses have been partially damaged in the floods that affected 34 states in the federation, and FCT.
The Minister further told the press that a number of 392,399 hectares of farmlands have been totally damaged, in addition to the 176,852 hectares of farmlands partially damaged in the floods which ravaged various communities in the country.
Sadiya further revealed that relief materials distributed as of 24th October 2022 have so far reached 21 states of Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.
She stated that distribution to other states affected by floods in the country is ongoing, enumerating that materials being distributed as emergency food items and non-food items included rice; maize; garri; vegetable oil; tin tomato; seasoning, and beans.
“The non-food items are materials used to assist with temporary shelters for 2 displaced communities and include roofing sheets; cement; nails, ceiling boards, blankets, nylon mats and zinc’, the minister clarified.
Hajiya Sadiya Farouk then commended local communities for their resilience, saying she received a report that in 144 LGAs, local communities worked together to provide the first response to their families and neighbors.
According to her, the Search and Rescue team which is responsible for evacuating people and providing life-saving first aid and medical support and referral to hospitals has so far been able to reach 199 local government areas within 25 states.
Sadiya expressed her ministry’s sincere appreciation to his Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari for his support and timely special intervention in addressing the flood intervention.
