The European Humanitarian Aid in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society have distributed hygiene and sanitary items to 500 women affected by the 2024 flood disaster in Kogi.
The items were provided by the EU under its 2024 Integrated Flood Response intervention project, through the International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, the Acting Branch Secretary, Nigeria Red Cross Society in the state, said this during the distribution exercise on Sunday in Lokoja.
He said the initiative was a follow up to the relief items and cash distributed to 1,100 households by the organisations in December 2024, as a response to the disaster in the state.
Abubakar said the project targeted 500 women within the child bearing age across 11 communities in Lokoja, Kogi and Idah Local Government Areas of the state.
He listed the benefitting communities to include Galilee; Kasuwan Ruwa, Sarkin-Noma, Edo, Kanpe, Onumaye, Edegaki, Ogbangede, Irenedu, Ala-Ichala, Ala-Atanegoma, Als-Ofukpoju.
“Our target this time around is sanitation because when a flood happens there are lots of things that will come up including health issues which is our major priority.
“The beneficiaries are mothers who are still into child bearing, who were earlier selected randomly across the communities across three LGAs,” he said.
Abubakar said the items distributed include dettol, bathing and washing soaps, reusable sanitary pads, undies, cream, detergents, tooth paste and brush, slippers, torch light, among others
He said the EU, through its intervention project in partnership with the Red Cross had provided relief and recovery support to thousands of flood-affected households in many states.
While urging the beneficiaries to ensure effective utilisation of the items to maintain proper menstrual hygiene and sanitation, Abubakar advised residents of flood prone communities to adhere to the early warning signs and relocate to upland.
“The flood will definitely come as predicted by NiMet, so prevention is always better and safer than cure.
“We also appeal to the local community leaders to identify the highland areas ahead of time to enable them to move to such areas before the community is flooded.”
Some of the beneficiaries, Sefinat Umar and Farida Ibrahim, commended the gesture, adding that it assuaged their sufferings.
They said the organisations distributed food and non food items as well as cash to the flood affected persons in the state..
“In December 2024, they gave us relief items such as 20-litre jerrycans, buckets, aqua tabs, and ATM preloaded cards with N77,000 each, which greatly help us to meet our immediate needs.
“We are grateful to the EU and Red Cross for coming again to give us sanitary items and others. May God bless them,” Ibrahim said
