By Ere-ebi Agedah
In anticipation of the flooding period in Nigeria, the European Union is providing €70,000 on emergency preparedness to reduce the impact of floods in the country.
This EU funding will support the Nigerian Red Cross Society to increase capacity and preparedness to reduce the impact of likely floods in the states of Ondo, Kogi, Kebbi, Anambra, and Cross River.
According to the EU, the support funding is expected to benefit 10,000 people directly and, indirectly, around 25,000 more. The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, DREF of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC.
In a press release on Tuesday, Head of the EU’s Humanitarian Aid office in Nigeria, Bart witteveen added that the funds will be available to the affected communities after adequate community awareness, prepositioning of stocks, mapping of evacuation centers and hygiene promotion.
The EU observed that in the past decade, especially during the last three years, there has been an observed pattern of flooding in Nigeria, with floods becoming the second most recurrent hazard affecting the country, after the epidemics.
The EU decried the effect of the high flooding period from August to October noting that it is usually characterized by the collapse of major dams, overflow of riverbanks and heavy occupation of residential areas and eventual uprooting and washing away of residential buildings.
Also, the EU added that the menace of erosion further deteriorates the living condition of the people and environment hence the need for government and international interventions.
The EU however noted that the trends are showing the necessity to anticipate the forecasted hazard and contribute much earlier to the preparedness in the areas at risk.
”the Nigeria Red Cross Society will take preventive measures to prepare for the anticipated impact that these events could have on the humanitarian situation before the flood season hits the country’’.
