Environment
Flood: UNOCHA pledges more support to Nigeria
United Nations
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of floods and other forms of disasters in the country.
United Nations Organization
The United Nations Organization was engaged when Mr. Trond Jensen, Head of UNOCHA, Nigeria, led a team on a visit to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday in Abuja.
Jensen, who denounced the devastating situation of the flood victims in Nigeria, also praised the agency for its prompt response to provide relief to the affected people.
He said the organization would continue to track UN member states’ contributions to the flood situation to ensure those contributions reach the places where they are most needed.
“We are very hopeful that we will be of mutual support to you and that we can work very closely together and particularly in these very difficult times when Nigeria is devastated by floods.
“Nations have been given a mandate to coordinate humanitarian response, whether in complex emergencies that are typically conflict or, alternatively, natural disasters.
Here in Nigeria
“Here in Nigeria, we have mainly focused on the northeast of the country because we were invited to come and support the victims of the conflicts in the northeast.
“But what we’re looking at is potentially providing support at the federal level, both in terms of assessment, information management, some coordination support potentially as well as resource mobilization and advocacy,” he said.
Mustapha Ahmed
For his part, Mr. Mustapha Ahmed, Director General of NEMA, thanked the team for the visit and for their continued commitment to supporting the country with humanitarian assistance.
Ahmed said that so far the agency has deployed its emergency response resources in several states to carry out life-saving first aid and support the vulnerable population who have been affected by the floods.
He said that although it faced some challenges, it nevertheless reached more than 1,427,370 displaced people in 28 states and the FCT, with food, non-food items and basic household items to support the efforts of their respective state governments.
“We hope to have the support of UNOCHA both materially and through the sharing of its vast experience in global best practices in managing the complex emergencies we face.
Central Emergency Response Fund
“I am aware that you are working to facilitate support to NEMA through the Central Emergency Response Fund to assist Nigerian flood disaster relief efforts.
NEMA and UNOCHA
“I welcome you to this very important visit that I believe will open a new perspective of mutual support and collaboration between NEMA and UNOCHA”, he said.
Edited /Ismail AbdulAziz
Source Credit
Source Credit: NAN
