Flood displaces thousands in Jigawa
Flood has rendered thousands of families across 16 local government areas of Jigawa State homeless, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Yusuf Sani Babura said yesterday.
Speaking with Daily Trust in Dutse, Babura said the flood disaster was as a result of heavy rainfall and over flowing of Gamadugu river.
He said respite has started coming the way of victims, as the state governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, approved the sum of N7 million for relief package for victims earlier identified from seven out of the affected areas.
“Over 27,000 persons lost their houses as a result of flood that wreaked havoc in 16 local government areas of Jigawa State. We are still compiling our data on all affected areas. So far, this is the record at hand as we are still awaiting more information from our staff in the field. Relief will be extended to other victims as soon as the data is compiled,” he said.
He added that a total of 1, 789 victims benefited from the relief package, saying his agency came up with a new policy of extending relief to victims in form of cash instead of distribution of materials.
Babura further argued that the wisdom for giving cash was to avoid confining the victims to only the materials donated by government, adding that with the money they could go for what they need.