Rivers govt. extends flood relief to Degema, Tai with food and household supplies

The Rivers State Government has distributed food supplies and household items to flood-affected residents of Degema and Tai Local Government Areas as part of efforts to cushion the hardship caused by recent flooding in the state.

The relief materials, comprising perishable and non-perishable food items as well as essential household supplies, were handed over on Thursday at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.

The distribution is part of the ongoing flood relief intervention coordinated by the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee to support communities affected by flooding and provide assistance to vulnerable households.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Deputy Governor and Chairperson of the State Flood Prevention and Management Committee, Professor Ngozi Odu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo, acknowledged the difficulties faced by residents whose homes and livelihoods had been affected by the disaster.

She noted that although the relief materials might not fully compensate for the losses suffered by the affected families, they would provide some immediate assistance and help ease their living conditions while the government continued to pursue lasting solutions to the challenges posed by flooding.

Odu urged the Degema Local Government Chairman and community leaders to ensure that the items were distributed fairly and transparently, with priority given to residents who had been directly affected by the floods.

The Degema Local Government Chairman, Michael Williams, represented by his Chief of Staff, Ipalibo Yellowe, assured the state government that the council would ensure the relief materials reached the intended beneficiaries.

Similarly, the Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Mbakpone Okpe, represented by the Chairman of the council’s Flood Management Committee, Kalube Kalube, described the intervention as a demonstration of the state government’s concern for communities affected by the disaster.

He said the relief materials would offer some comfort to affected residents and reassure them they had not been abandoned in their difficult circumstances.

The relief supplies include hundreds of bags of rice, beans and garri, alongside cooking oil, seasoning cubes, noodles, tomato paste and spaghetti.

Other items provided include mattresses, pillows, buckets, bathroom slippers, toiletries, plates, cups, spoons, mosquito nets, blankets and other essential household materials.

The intervention is expected to provide immediate relief to affected households in the two local government areas, particularly families struggling to meet basic food and domestic needs after the floods.

The state government’s flood relief programme is part of its broader response to the impact of flooding on communities across Rivers State.