The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it recorded 42 major disasters in three states of the South-East Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu in 2018.
The Zonal Co-ordinator of NEMA, Mr Walson Ibarakumo disclosed this during a NEMA South-East Zone Stakeholders Interactive Meeting in Enugu. He said: “For Anambra, 15 disasters, including urban and river flooding, fire incidents, and erosion were reported.
“Over 300,000 persons were affected by the floods that ravaged the state between September and October, 2018.
“Three interventions are so far made by the agency, with food and non-food items supplied to over 17 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps during the flooding.
“Recovery efforts are ongoing with the Emergency Operations Centres, set up by the agency after the declaration of national disaster by the Federal Government.’’
He also disclosed that Ebonyi witnessed 11 disasters across the state, with communal conflict ranking as outstanding.
“Other reported incidents in Ebonyi include fire disaster and flooding which affected three local government area. Interventions were carried out within the period, with rehabilitation and recovery efforts presently ongoing,’’ he said.
The zonal co-ordinator said that 16 major disasters were reported in Enugu State with windstorm being most of the disasters.
“Fire incidents were also reported in Enugu metropolis. Erosion is also a major incident that affected communities in Udi and Nsukka.
“The agency has just concluded direct distribution of relief materials to persons affected by windstorm in communities of Federated Agbogugu Autonomous Communities in Awgu council area,’’ he said.
On the meeting, Ibarakumo said that it was meant for the stakeholders to interact and identify areas of strength and weakness in disaster and emergency responses in 2018; while fashioning out new ways to tackle issues better.
In a goodwill message, Executive Secretary of SEMA in Enugu State, Mrs Nkechi Eneh, lauded NEMA and the Federal Government for all intervention to disaster hit communities in the state.
Eneh, who assured of the continual co-operation of Enugu SEMA, however, urged stakeholders to take concerted efforts toward sensitising and educating students and pupils on their roles and responsibility in an emergency or disaster situations.
Executive Secretary of SEMA in Ebonyi, Pastor Ken Ezeh, stressed on the need to train more community volunteers and focal persons on disaster and emergency issues so that the effect of the meeting would trickle down to the grassroots.
“There is a need for us to raise the awareness about disaster and emergency situations at the grassroots.
“So, I suggest those at this meeting should further take the message on what they had been taught at home to council areas and communities in our various states,’’ Ezeh said.