The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has started the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood disasters and other vulnerable people in Kaduna State in line with the objectives of the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI).
NEMA Director General Mustapha Habib Ahmed who flagged off the distribution in Kaduna yesterday said the federal government approved the intervention specifically for people affected by the 2022 flood disaster and those classified as the most vulnerable across the country.
Ahmed who was represented by the South-East coordinator of NEMA, Ngozi Echeazu, said 660,884 households were verified and targeted to benefit from the special intervention across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said agricultural inputs such as crop seedlings and equipment were given to farmers to enable them to return to their farms, stimulate crop production and safeguard national food security, adding that the intervention is expected to stimulate value chain activities at the grassroots.
He further said the support items were meant to help artisans improve their businesses and grow the economy. He urged the beneficiaries not to destroy the good intention of the federal government by selling the items.
The items distributed include rice, maize, sorghum, sewing and grinding machines.
Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, said the gesture was very commendable.
Represented by the deputy chief of staff in her office, Barrister James Kanyip, she said; “The happiness here is the collaboration between NEMA, SEMA and other agencies with the state government. It shows that there is a very strong bond when it comes to issues of disaster management and provision of relief materials to victims through this kind of intervention”.
