The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sent an emergency response authorities to assist and rescue the people in the affected areas.
The team involves specialists that offers help such as rescuing and evacuating people from areas vulnerable to such threats and providing guidance to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)and other stakeholders.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar, NEMA Director General, reveals that mobile water purification equipment have been shared to all the affected families to aid in the provision and storage of clean water. This development was as a result of the recent alert signifying them to prepare for the potential crisis.
The states that are vulnerable to this disaster are; Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi and others along the Niger and Benue rivers.
Part of the statement read: “With the activation and deployment, NEMA offices nationwide and technical officers will work with the relevant State Ministries, Departments and Agencies to establish Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) for coordination and activation of local actors for the emergency response.
“These will include advocacy to communities at risk, evacuation planning, identification of safe high ground for temporary shelters and prepositioning of equipment for evacuation and rescue.
“Sector leads have also been alerted to provide priority needs to the impacted persons in the event of displacement of persons into Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and other safer locations.
“Furthermore, NEMA is coordinating with the Military Disaster Response Units (DRU), Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) to deploy their Disaster Response personnel, Police Marine and Disaster Management Units operatives respectively where necessary and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to also activate its volunteers.”