The federal government on Saturday donated foods and non-food items to Taraba government for onward distribution to victims of flood disaster in the state.

Handing over the items in Jalingo, Mustapha Habib, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the gesture was a show of the federal government’s concern for the plight of victims.

Mr Habib, who was represented by Mohammed Kanar, Deputy Director, Resource Management, said that 450 local government areas in the 36 states and the FCT were affected by the 2022 flood disaster.

He advised citizens to adhere to Early Warning Signs (EWS) from NiMET and National Hydrological Agency and thanked the Taraba government for responding quickly to the flood.

He also expressed the determination of the Federal Government to strengthen states and local governments disaster and risk management on the mitigation of risk and disaster management within their domains.

In his remarks, Governor Darius Ishaku said Taraba was one state that was worst hit by the flood. He said that the state had the longest stretch of river Benue running from Adamawa through Taraba to Benue state.

The governor, who was represented by Anthony Jellason, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said the level of federal government’s response to the flood emergency in the state was not commensurable with the disaster.

The governor, however, commended the federal government for the timely intervention with the donation of relief items to the state, adding that the items would cushion the effect of the disaster on direct victims in the state.

He gave an assurance that the state would constitute a committee that would ensure equitable distribution of the relief materials to the victims.

Some of the items donated by NEMA include rice, maize, beans, Maggi, vegetable oil, mats, mosquito nets and clothes.

The 2022 flood destroyed farms and households in 12 local government areas in the state and killed 14 people, while rendering over 300,000 people homeless.

(NAN)