NEMA Responds To Kogi Flood Crisis, Displacing 517 Individuals

NEMA Responds To Kogi Flood Crisis, Displacing 517 IndividualsThe National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed its emergency response team to Kogi State following severe flooding that has impacted several communities. This initiative aims to proactively monitor the flood situation across the country, as stated by the agency on Wednesday.

The response team includes personnel specialized in search and rescue operations, who will offer technical support to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders involved in rescue, evacuation, and assessments in the affected areas. NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, announced that mobile water purification units have also been dispatched to provide clean drinking water to impacted families.

Recently, NEMA issued alerts to states at risk of flooding, urging them to prepare for potential incidents. Umar noted that the agency has activated all its zonal, territorial, and operations offices, prepositioning critical equipment for timely responses, including search and rescue operations and the evacuation of individuals to safer areas.

Frontline states identified as vulnerable to flooding include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Kwara. NEMA’s activation includes establishing Emergency Operation Centres to coordinate efforts with state ministries and agencies for effective local response.

Efforts will involve advocacy for at-risk communities, evacuation planning, identifying safe locations for temporary shelters, and prepositioning equipment for rescue operations. Sector leads have been alerted to prioritize the needs of displaced persons in Internally Displaced Persons camps and safer locations.

NEMA is collaborating with Military Disaster Response Units, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to deploy disaster response personnel where necessary. The Nigerian Red Cross Society has also been instructed to mobilize its volunteers.

The Director-General of NEMA advises residents in flood-prone areas, especially along the Rivers Benue and Niger, to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency service providers as the agency continues to monitor the situation closely.

In Kogi State, over 200 communities have been inundated, with nearly two million people affected by the floods. Local government areas such as Kogi, Lokoja, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, and Ibaji are among the hardest hit.

As of October 14, 2024, NEMA reported that 1,659 people have been affected, with 517 displaced and 1,601 houses damaged in Kogi. Nationwide, flooding has impacted 33 states across 208 local government areas in 2024, resulting in 317 fatalities, 1,279,094 affected individuals, and significant damage to housing and farmland.

For more information on this article and other related posts from Bushradiogist, please join our WhatsApp channel by clicking this link https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaUumOODTkK7AZL1Fw3o. For advertisement inquiries only, kindly send a message to 090 1907 0863 on WhatsApp.