Anambra Gets 4,000 Food Baskets Under KSrelief Humanitarian Support Programme

By Mary Obi

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday flagged off the distribution of 4,000 food baskets donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to vulnerable households in Anambra State under a nationwide humanitarian intervention targeting 24,302 beneficiaries.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Awka, the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said the intervention reflects the enduring partnership between NEMA and KSrelief in providing relief to vulnerable populations across Nigeria.

Represented by the Director of NEMA’s South-East Zone, Mr. Walson Brandon, Umar said the allocation to Anambra forms part of the 24,302 food baskets donated by KSrelief for distribution to vulnerable persons in Anambra, Yobe, Taraba, Benue and other beneficiary states.

She noted that the intervention would provide relief to families affected by displacement, insecurity, disasters and prevailing economic challenges, adding that KSrelief has remained a dependable partner in strengthening Nigeria’s emergency response through humanitarian assistance and technical support.

The NEMA Director-General recalled that previous interventions by the Saudi-based humanitarian organisation had complemented the efforts of the Federal Government and state governments in supporting internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups across the country.

Umar assured that the distribution would be carried out in line with KSrelief’s operational and accountability standards to ensure transparency, fairness and effective delivery to intended beneficiaries. She added that officials of NEMA, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and accredited volunteers would jointly supervise the exercise.

She also warned residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning advisories, clear blocked drainage channels, avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways and relocate from highly vulnerable areas where necessary.

Umar commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s commitment to addressing humanitarian challenges and improving the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians. She also appreciated King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Government of Saudi Arabia and KSrelief for their continued support to Nigeria.

In his remarks, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, commended KSrelief and NEMA for their sustained support to disaster victims and vulnerable residents of the state.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu and NEMA for facilitating the intervention and urged beneficiaries to use the food items for their intended purpose, warning that anyone found diverting or selling the relief materials would be undermining the programme’s objective.

Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs. Omega Ndidi, described the donation as a timely intervention that would bring much-needed relief to households affected by disasters across the state. She disclosed that each of the 4,000 food baskets contains parboiled rice, beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, salt, seasoning cubes and other essential food items weighing 59.8 kilograms. She added that the items would be distributed across eight local government areas—Awka South, Awka North, Awka West, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Nnewi South.

Ndidi commended Governor Soludo for providing an enabling environment and appreciated the Federal Government, NEMA and KSrelief for the humanitarian gesture. She said SEMA, in collaboration with NEMA, had carefully enumerated beneficiaries to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability throughout the distribution process, while urging recipients to make judicious use of the items.

Also speaking, NEMA’s Deputy Director, Special Duties Department, Mrs. Ojo Bolanle, warned beneficiaries against diverting or selling the food items, stressing that they were meant strictly for household consumption.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Solomon Udeh and Mrs. Amaka Ebo expressed appreciation to KSrelief, NEMA and the Federal Government for the intervention, describing the assistance as timely in the face of the prevailing economic hardship.