ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), an NGO, has provided cash and relief materials for 1,200 women-led households affected by flood in three local government areas of Jigawa.
Mr Anicetus Atakpu, ActionAid’s Resilience Coordinator, made the assertion on Sunday in Dutse.
Victims were those Dawigi community in Gwiwa Local Government Area; those in Sabara, Nassarawa, Kainawa and Allah Yayi Komai communities in Miga Local Government Area and Rankwala Sale community in Kaugama Local Government Area.
Atakpu said the intervention was provided in collaboration with its Jigawa Local Right partner, Baba Azimi Foundation (BAF), with funding from STARTFUND.
Jigawa has been affected by flooding since August 2022 with heavy rains causing severe damages to schools, houses and the livelihoods of various communities.
“The State Emergency Management Agency reported that the floods destroyed more than 57,000 houses and displaced more than 100,000 people,’’ Atakpu said.
He added that the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics also reported that Jigawa is the third poorest state in the federation as 87.2 per cent of its populace are poor.
The official noted that the continued loss of houses, livestock, farmlands and inaccessibility to quality education and healthcare, will further deepen the state’s poverty level, hence the intervention.
e said the partners gave N20,000 as cash-for-food to 1,000 households headed by women and non-food items to 1,200 households.
He added that the partners also distributed kits to selected 500 lactating women and pregnant mothers in some of the 1,200 households.
In her remarks, Executive Director of BAF, Barr. Aisha Sulaiman, explained that the foundation, working to protect women, children and Persons Living with Disabilities.
“The programme seeks to improve children’s access to basic education, healthcare services and the overall development of the communities.
“It was in the course of executing the programme that the 2022 flood wreaked havoc in the state.
“We felt that there was a need to secure intervention to support the people.
“That was why we gathered data of those affected and submitted to AAN which used them to secure the relief materials and cash we distributed,’’ Sulaiman said.
Some of the beneficiaries told the News agency of Nigeria that the NGOS brought them succour as they lost most of their belongings, including furniture to the floods.
Also, speaking the Vice-Chairman of Miga Local Government Council, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad, thanked the organisations for the support.
Ahmad noted that the gesture would go a long way to complement the efforts of the local, state and Federal Governments to bring succour to the flood victims. NAN
