UN Assures Nigeria Of Support In Disaster Management

The UN Under-Secretary for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Baroness Valerie Amos, has assured Nigeria of the organisation’s continued support in the management of flood disaster.
Amos, who was represented by Mr Ayo Bamidele, a UN staff in Nigeria, gave the assurance recently Thursday in Asaba at the opening of the third South-South Emergency Management Summit and Exhibition.
She said the UN would also support the country in fashioning out a joint development action plan for the management of flood and other disasters in the country.
The under-secretary said that the action plan would create a platform for government at all levels to relate with other humanitarian organisations.
She noted that apart from flooding, there were other challenges facing the country such as political violence, communal clashes and health problems.
She, therefore, commended the efforts of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in managing the 2012 flood disaster in the country.
“The humanitarian services put in place by NEMA have been very commendable as it is partnering with other agencies,’’ she added.
Also speaking, the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, said that the South-South zone was susceptible to various forms of disaster both natural and human-induced.
Sidi said that the region had in recent times witnessed disasters such as ocean surge, flooding, oil spillages, communal crisis, pipeline explosion, among others.
He added that disaster management in the country was mainly humanitarian in nature, with huge funds annually spent on emergencies, while developmental gains were lost in different incidents.
The NEMA boss said the agency had adopted the “Hyogo” framework to avert future disasters and ensure business and government continuity.
The framework, he added, offered the agency the opportunity to formulate policies pertaining to social development, equity, economic growth, environmental quality and sustainable land use.
Sidi commended the drive by the South-South states to integrate their response mechanisms, having achieved 66 per cent in the establishment of their own State Emergency Management Agencies.
He said various issues relating to disaster management would be deliberated upon during the three-day summit.
He advised participants to contribute and evolve strategies that would enhance performance in disaster management in the country.
The theme of the summit is: “ National Flood Disaster: An Imperative for Integrated Disaster Risk Management for Sustainable Development in the South-South Zone.’’