The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to victims of banditry attacks and affected host communities in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, in a humanitarian intervention aimed at cushioning the impact of the attacks on displaced and returning residents.
The flag-off and symbolic presentation ceremony was held at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Store in Bauchi, with officials of NEMA, the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the state government, community representatives and beneficiaries in attendance.
Speaking at the ceremony, Umuna Ahmed, Head of Operations, NEMA Gombe Office, who represented the Director-General of the agency, said the intervention followed an assessment conducted after reports of the banditry attacks in Alkaleri.
Ahmed said NEMA officials visited the affected communities to assess the extent of the damage after the incident was reported to the agency's headquarters.
She explained that many of the affected residents were displaced to Gombe State but had subsequently returned to their communities in Alkaleri, necessitating the humanitarian intervention.
“Today we are here for the distribution of relief materials donated by the Federal Government through NEMA to the affected individuals,” she said.
According to NEMA, the affected population comprises more than 3,000 individuals, with the initial ceremony involving 150 sampled beneficiaries before the wider distribution exercise continues in Alkaleri.
Ahmed said the symbolic presentation was only the beginning of the exercise, adding that NEMA officials would proceed to Alkaleri to ensure that all identified beneficiaries receive their allocated relief materials.
She acknowledged that the intervention could not replace what the victims had lost, particularly their homes and sources of livelihood, but said the assistance was intended to cushion the effects of the disaster.
The relief package includes 1,200 bags of rice, 1,200 bags of 25kg beans, 1,200 cartons of spaghetti and 1,200 pieces of wax prints, alongside 100 cartons each of vegetable oil, tomato paste and seasoning cubes, as well as 200 cartons of detergent.
NEMA said the materials were donated by the Federal Government through the agency as part of efforts to provide immediate humanitarian support to communities affected by insecurity and displacement.
In his remarks, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. Bashir Aliyu Nuhu, described the intervention as significant, expressing appreciation to NEMA and the Federal Government for responding to the needs of affected communities.
The Commissioner said the intervention demonstrated the importance of collaboration between federal and state emergency management institutions in addressing humanitarian challenges.
The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also assured beneficiaries that the materials would be distributed fairly and transparently to ensure that they reach the intended recipients.
The agency appealed to beneficiaries and community leaders to maintain peace, unity and cooperation throughout the distribution exercise, while continuing to work with government and security agencies to create conditions for sustainable recovery.
A representative of the beneficiaries, Kahan John Shehu, 39, commended NEMA and the Bauchi State Government for extending assistance to victims in rural communities.
She said the relief materials would provide significant support to families, particularly during the rainy season when many households were still waiting for the harvest.
“It might not be enough as such, but it will go a long way,” Shehu said, adding that the assistance would help families meet some of their immediate food needs until the harvesting period.
She further appreciated the authorities for reaching out to affected residents in neighbouring communities and bringing them into the relief distribution exercise.
The intervention comes as affected residents continue efforts to rebuild their lives and livelihoods following the insecurity that displaced them from their communities.
NEMA said the distribution would continue in Alkaleri to ensure that the identified beneficiaries receive their share of the relief materials.
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