The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that scores of people have been declared missing in the aftermath of the flood that cut off roads and destroyed the Shendam Bridge.
The agency added that the scope of its mandate is limited to only providing succour? to victims of disaster by way of providing shelter and distributing relief materials to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the affected areas.
The NEMA’s Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Edward Maigida, stated this yesterday during an interview with our correspondent.
?LEADERSHIP had sought his views on steps being taken by the agency to address challenges arising from the collapse of the Shendam Bridge that was washed away by flood.
Reiterating that the agency is? committed to ensuring that victims of natural and artificial disasters are? given sense of belonging, Maigida stated that items, such as mattresses, rice, blanket, guinea corn, maize, wax prints, millet, indomie, guinea brocade, detergent, mosquito nets, nylon mats had? been distributed to those displaced from their homes.
Maigida, who led NEMA delegation to the disaster area, told the victims that the items were provided by the Federal Government because of its concern for their plight, adding?? that the items were? distributed to various local governments affected by the flood.
?He also expressed the hope that the relief materials would be of great help to the victims, saying that “We know that these items won’t give you the kind of comfort your homes would have provided you but we pray that you get back to your homes as soon as possible.’’
Maigida said the affected councils include Mikang, Shendam, Quan Pan, Wase, Langtang South and Langtang North in Plateau State.
Meanwhile, among those stranded after the collapse of the Shendam bridge were NEMA officials who visited the town on Monday to distribute relief materials to victims of early floods in Wase, Langtang and Shendam.
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