Flood: NOA appeals for humanitarian assistance for flood victims

By Chimezie Godfrey

The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has appealed to all well meaning Nigerians, individuals and organisations to extend humanitarian assistance to flood victims in the country..

The Director General, NOA, Dr Garba Abari made the appeal at a press briefing on the state of the flooding in Nigeria held at the NOA Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Abari recalled that on the 3rd of August 2022, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) held a stakeholders meeting in Abuja aimed at brainstorming and developing strategies to tackle the menace of flooding and its consequential effect on the livelihood of citizens.

He said stakeholders from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies participated in that conversation. One of the takeaways from that engagement was that NOA would play an active role towards disseminating credible and relevant information at the grass root level.

Among other engagements, he noted that the NOA, in collaboration with Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) embarked on a one-day workshop for the 36 State Directors and the FCT, as well as and the 12 Headquarters’ Directors.

According to him, the aim of the workshop, which held in Abuja on the 16th of August 2022, was to build the capacity of State Directors for effective communication, messaging and information dissemination of NIMET’s warnings and activities in their respective states.

He however regretted that the realities of the predicted floods and their devastating impacts have befallen Nigerians.

In the light of foregoing, the NOA DG appealed to all well meaning Nigerians, CSOs, NGOs, and other organisations to extend humanitarian assistance to Nigerians who are victims of the natural disaster.

He said,”The situation calls for urgent intervention by all and sundry. It is, by no means, a burden that government alone can bear. The existential challenge of the current flooding in parts of Nigeria is one of such national trying moments that call for every one of us to summon that humanity and brotherly compassion that Nigerians are known for.

“We must rise up to answer the clarion call of being our brothers’ keepers in this time of need. It is a time when those who can help must reach out a hand to those who need help.

“The NOA objective is clear about what we need to do as an institution in cases like this. Our mandate requires the Agency to encourage the people to actively and freely participate in discussions and decisions on matters affecting the general welfare of all Nigerians and our country.

“We therefore call on all citizens, individual and corporate, to mobilize and send aids to flood ravaged individuals and communities, both in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and elsewhere. Faith based organizations and non-governmental organizations are particularly encouraged to organize and mobilize their members to provide relief to affected communities.

“The general public is called upon to provide aids such as foodstuff, drinking water, beddings, blankets, wrappers, camping gas, cooking utensils, detergents, sanitary packs, toiletries, mosquito nets and medications to the victims of flood. These aids, be they financial, material or physical, will go a long way to ameliorate the sufferings of our compatriots. Indeed, even within affected communities, those who are least affected should offer support to those who are more affected by offering food, clothes, shelter, help with evacuation and other forms of assistance.”

Abari disclosed that the NOA is currently partnering with the Super Bike Clubs Association of Nigeria on a campaign to ensure food security, national cohesion and prevention of malaria in the aftermath of the floods.

According to him, the campaign is a five-day event to promote eradication of malaria and water-borne diseases as well as food security in six focus states of Nasarawa Plateau, Gombe, Kano, Katsina and Kaduna. In doing this, we acknowledge the generous effort of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the North East Development Commission in distributing relief materials to some of the affected communities.

“We also acknowledge the effort of some State Governments in this regard, including those of Bayelsa, Rivers, Kogi, Lagos, Anambra and Taraba.

“However, what needs to be done is for local government and community leaders to ensure that those whose sources of livelihood were affected are given pyscho-social support, including counselling and social safety assistance.

“The Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers of NOA have been directed to continue to sensitize communities on the need to stay put in their temporary locations until advised otherwise. They are also to take health and hygiene education to the communities,” he said.

He urged the press to as to intensify their performance in keeping the plights of the affected compatriots in the front burners of national discourse with a view to bringing deserving attention to their ordeal and attracting the help they so urgently need from the well-meaning public.