Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (TSEMA) has distributed relief materials to over 50,000 internally displaced persons and flood victims across several local government areas following recent flooding and communal crises in the state, the agency said.
The intervention, carried out on March 28, targeted affected communities in Jalingo, Lau, Yorro, and Takum, where households received food items, mattresses, and other essential supplies.
Speaking during the exercise, the agency’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Audu Echuseh, commended Governor Agbu Kefas for his support, noting that the state government’s backing had strengthened the agency’s response capacity.
“Our priority is to reach those most in need and ensure that assistance gets to them as quickly as possible,” she stated.
In flood-prone areas such as Lau and Jalingo, officials coordinated evacuations and distributed emergency supplies to residents displaced by rising water levels following the overflow of nearby rivers.
The agency also extended support to families affected by farmer-herder clashes in Takum, while in Yorro, joint operations with the National Emergency Management Agency ensured both immediate relief and continued assistance to affected communities.
TSEMA said the exercise was part of ongoing efforts to address humanitarian needs across the state as flooding and security challenges continue to disrupt livelihoods.
Taraba is among states prone to seasonal flooding, which frequently affects low-lying communities and displaces residents.
Residents in the affected communities expressed relief over the intervention.
“We lost almost everything to the flood,” a resident of Jalingo said. “But the assistance we received helped us survive. It gave us hope again.”
The agency added that it would continue to monitor vulnerable communities and coordinate further interventions as flooding and security challenges persist in parts of the state.
