The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Saturday commenced the distribution of relief materials to 8,757 households affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Kaduna State.

Director-General of the agency, Mustapha Ahmed, said during the distribution in Kaduna that the gesture was under the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI).

Mr Ahmed, who was represented by Ngozi Echeazu, State Team supervisor, SNELEI, said the distribution was to bring succour to the affected households in the state.

He identified the items as food and non-food items, such as rice, beans, sorghum, blankets, mats, mosquito nets and detergents.

Other non-food items include sewing machines, grinding machines, water pumps for dry-season farmers, sprayers, fertilisers, herbicides and seedlings.

He explained that the agricultural inputs were given to take farmers back to the farms, stimulate crop production and safeguard national food security in the middle of economic downturn.

The DG added that the livelihood support was to help artisans to improve their businesses and grow the economy.

He called on the beneficiaries to avoid selling the items and destroy the good intention of the federal government.

In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of the state, Hadiza Balarabe, commended the federal government for the gesture.

Mrs Balarabe, who was represented by James Kanyip, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Uba Sani, Office of the Deputy Governor, said the items would assist the beneficiaries in rebuilding their lives.

She also advised the beneficiaries against selling the items, which she said was to alleviate poverty and empower them economically.

The deputy governor also called on the distributors of the relief materials to ensure that only the targeted persons and the vulnerable were given the items.

Also, Usman Mazabu, Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, thanked the Federal Government for approving the relief assistance to the victims.

Mr Mazabu assured that the relief materials would be transparently and jointly distributed to the affected persons by officials of NEMA, SEMA and representatives of the community and other relevant stakeholders.

(NAN)