Post Flood Reprieve: Kogi Communities Laud ECHO, Red Cross for Making Life ComfortableI

brahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Communities affected by the 2024 flood in Kogi State have commended  the International Non-Governmental Organisations, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations EC  and Nigerian Red Cross for  providing post-flood interventions to the victims.

The commendation came during the weekend  when the Nigerian Red Cross visited the affected communities who had received ATM and other items, the victims pointed out that their appreciation
became imperative in view of the positive impacts on the people of the riverine communities enjoyed from ECHO and Nigerian Red Cross .

The Nigerian  Red Cross had profiled the most vulnerable in affected communities and provided  1100 households with  ATM with N77,000 each ,20litres Jerry cans, buckets and aquatabs for the purification of water for consumption in the communities.
The programme which was funded by the  European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations ECHO, monitored and  distributed by Nigerian Red Cross across the selected three local government areas in Kogi State .

The beneficiaries were drawn from Idah, Lokoja and Kogi Lokoja local government areas of the state .
Similarly, the international NGOs also extended the gestures to 1,600 communities in Delta State and 1100 communities in Anambra State.

The Acting Secretary, Abdullahi Abubarka, Nigerian Red Cross ,Kogi State, explained that following the devastating effect of the 2024 flood in about eleven local government areas of the state and other parts of the country, the Red Cross had instructed the field officers to profile the victims and seek for the most vulnerable in the affected communities in State.

Abubarka  pointed out that the field officers swung into action immediately, visited communities and subsequently reported back to the headquarters, stressing that a total of  1100 households were randomly selected in Kogi State.

According to him, in Idah Local Government Area, 300 household were picked in Ala Ogane, Ala Atenoguma and Ala Ichala, while in Lokoja Local Government Area, 400 households were selected in Galilee, Sarkin Numa, Eto and Kampe .

And in Kogi Local Government Area, another 400 households were considered as most vulnerable in Ogbangede, Iremodu, Onumaye and Edegaki respectively.

Abubarka stated that after profiling in November shortly after the flood disaster, the ECHO released the funds and the Red Cross returned to the affected communities in December last year  to distribute ATM  cards with N77,000 and other items such as 20 litres Jerry cans and buckets to each of  the victims .

Speaking on behalf of the communities, a community leader, Ibrahim Edagaki, lauded the Nigerian Red Cross and ECHO for the timely humanitarian intervention, stressing it has impacted positively on the people of the affected communities in the area.

Ibrahim noted that since 2012, people have been coming to register us, but nothing has ever been done, except the recent one carried out by the Red Cross and ECHO.

A housewife and indigene of Edagaki, Mrs. Amina Ibrahim, state: “We commend the ECHO and Red Cross for giving us money, Jerry cans and buckets after the flood that made life difficult for use. I have used this money to upgrade my business and assist my husband too.