Eight thousand seven hundred and twenty five Internally Displaced Persons in Zamfara state will benefit from the relief items donated by king Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The food items are aimed at assisting those critically affected by the activities of armed bandits and other criminal elements
The State Governor Bello Matawalle at the flag off ceremony in Gusau said the state has over one hundred and eighty thousand IDPs across the fourteen local government areas of the state
The donation of the food items by the Humanitarian agency from Saudi Arabia through NEMA is expected to cushion the hardship faced by the IDPs
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency NEME represented by Fatima Qasim said eight thousand seven hundred and twenty five Internally Displaced persons households in Zamfara state will benefit from the gesture.
Fatima Qasim said the items will be distributed only to the affected persons and will not be politised.
According to her, Zamfara is the third state to benefit from the gesture after Borno and Yobe which were the worst hit state by the activities of armed bandits
On his part, the Zamfara state Governor Bello Matawalle who was represented by the commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management Fa’ika Ahmed commend the donors and NEMA
She assured that the items will be delivered only to those displaced by armed Bandits and other security issues.
According to her, the Matawalle led administration is committed to ensuring that Internally Displaced Persons in the state do not go hungry as the state government on its own is working hard to meet their need.
She thanked the donors and appeal to other agencies and well to do individuals to emulate the king Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre for putting smiles on the faces of the IDPs.
Some of the beneficiaries Sani Danhuloti and Salha Mande who spoke to TVC News said they left their home town since two years ago as a result of bandits attack and are taking refuge with relations in Gusau, the state Capital
They expressed their joy over the gesture and prayed that God should bless the donors and NEMA who facilitated the distribution of the items
They called for fairness and sincerity in the distribution as, according to them many of the people hardly receive such items after the flag off ceremony.
The IDPs also commend the efforts of the Zamfara state government for providing them with food and clothing from time to time.
The displaced persons are calling on Zamfara state and the federal government to provide them adequate security in the hometown to enable them return home and prepare for farming as the rainy season approaches.
The National Emergency Management Agency insist that the relief items will be distributed house to house and will get to the targeted beneficiaries
Authorities of the National Emergency Management Agency and that of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Zamfara state further assured that the distribution of the relief items will not be politicized.
