Truck loads of relief materials been distributed to the victims of fire disaster in IDP camp, maiduguri.
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri-
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has distributed relief materials to some Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were affected by the Tuesday fire disaster that left 3 persons death including a minor at Customs House IDPs Camp in Maiduguri.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that the relief materials include: truckloads of foodstuff, cooking utensils, clothing and blankets which were handed over to 4000 affected persons.
Addressing the beneficiaries, the Managing Director, NEDC, Dr. Mohammed Alkali, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had deeply expressed his concern and sympathy over the incident and ordered for immediate action to provide assistance to the affected IDPs.
“This incident happened about two days ago, and the president directed the ministry of humanitarian affairs to immediately provide the support that could contain the situation while we still work on what we had set out to do in returning the IDPs to original homes”.
“The Humanitarian Minister, Hagiya Farouq also directed that we visit the camp and assess what is on the ground and then provide what is needed to calm the situation”, Alkali said.
The NEDC boss, also explained that each household is to get two bags of rice, two piece of blankets, mats, two wrappers for the women, and two packets of macaroni, a 5-litre cooking oil, and pieces of clothing for all.
“We learnt that there are about 688 households that were affected by the fire incident and all of the affected persons will get this support,“ he said.
Reacting, The Executive Director, Humanitarian Services, NEDC, Malam Musa Yashi, said that NEDC provided immediate humanitarian service, which was not the commission’s earlier projection.
“Our initial aim was to contend with only physical infrastructural development of the northeast. But we discovered that this incidental cases of the disaster continue to reoccurred.
“We do not have long term plans of curtailing disasters like this, but as an intervention agency, we will make sure that whenever problems like this happen we will make sure respond accordingly.
“And this we do in collaboration with other sister agencies like NEMA SEMA and so on. The NEDC, like the MD, has said is always ready to take care of unforeseen situations like this even though we don’t pray they recur,” Yashi said.
In her remarks, The Director General, Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, noted with high level of concern that the agency would collaborate with other relevant authorities to ensure that immediate relief packages were distributes to those affected to cushion their hardship.
She appealed to the victims to accept the incident as an act of God and be extra careful this winter period while cooking using fire outside or inside their houses and tents.
However, some beneficiaries who spoke on behalf of their mates, commended the NEDC for their timely intervention saying the gesture would go along to alleviating their hardship.
Hajju Fanta Modu, an IDP and mother of 4 children FROM. Dikwa town of Dikwa LGA said “I am indeed grateful and honestly impressed with the whole gesture.”
“My children will be relieved as well my husband for sometime now with these food items and assistance. God bless the NEDC, NEMA, SEMA and other NGOs for their support and assistance always to us”, Fanta said.
Another beneficiary, Baamusa Mustapha said”, I’m very happy with this relief materials, and we’re grateful to the NEDC for coming to aide since this fire outbreak occurred”.
NATIONAL ACCORD recalled that three persons, including a 3 year old child, lost their life, on Tuesday in the fire disaster at the Customs House IDPs camps, where over 688 IDPs families or households were again displaced.