The 2019 floods have
severely affected over five hundred and fifty-two thousand nine hundred
and ten persons, displacing one hundred and sixty thousand while one
hundred and fifty-two people lost their lives with one thousand two
hundred and ten people injured as a result of snake bites, building collapse,
and drowning hospitalizing three hundred and twenty-six in all the
thirty-six states of Nigeria. Just like the other affected states, the
federal capital territory was not excluded from the massive effects of the
floods, lives and properties were lost, including Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport Abuja, major roads connecting cities destroyed as well as means of
economic livelihood including hundreds of hectares of farmlands, and rendering
many homeless. Cases of cholera outbreak have been reported in some states as a
result of the pollution of water sources and the destruction of toilet
facilities that led to open defecations.
The Nigerian Red Cross
Society has mobilized over two thousand three hundred volunteers and about 200
staff for nationwide humanitarian assistance ranging from search and rescue,
registration, camp coordination and management, evacuation, first aid,
psychosocial support and referrals services, distribution of food and none food
items and is ready to do more.
In as much as the
Nigerian Red Cross Society has assisted many, its assessments still show that
the Internally Displaced Persons both in camp and host communities is still an
urgent need for food, shelter, mosquito nets, mats, cooking utensils, hygiene
kits, medical attention, and psychosocial support.
We, therefore appeal to
you to partner with us as we strive to assist the affected populations while in
camps and host communities and prepare them to return to their normal lives
after the floods. Support the Nigerian Red Cross Society to do more and do
better.
In a bid to
increase visibility and access information of Red Cross, fundamental principles
and emblem. The Nasarawa state Branch of the Nigerian Red cross society today
interfaced with the head of departments and commandant of the Nigerian Security
and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Nasarawa State Command.
Leading the
Red Cross delegation of the branch to the NSCDC state command, the BS Mr. Jerry
Danjuma Kuje said the visit was aimed at providing and increasing access to
information on Red Cross operational activities and to discuss how to improve
the emergency response, first aid, life-saving skills and manual handling
techniques of the NSCDC emergency response team during an emergency.
Receiving the
members of the Red Cross Nasarawa state branch, the commandant NSCDC Nasarawa
State command Mohammed Mahmoud Gidado Fari (fsi. Phd.) appreciated Red Cross
for their effort in prompt disaster response and humanitarian work in the
state.
Dr. Mahmoud
Fari said in the amended act of the NSCDC 2007 has given the Corp the Mandate
"To Assist The Federal And State Fire Service In Fire Fighting
Operation." He assured Red Cross of the command readiness to learn from
the society vast skills in first aid and manual handling techniques of
casualties during emergencies.
Nigerian
Red Cross Society, Enugu state chapter, has trained over 40 persons living with
disabilities on how to promptly respond to emergencies and first aid skills.
Speaking during the exercise which held at the Vocational Rehabilitation
Center, Emene, on weekend, the State Training Officer, Mrs Florence Nwafor,
said that first aid skill was vital for everyone in our society, noting that
the training was in line with the vision of the Red Cross.
Every
community has group of people often unseen and are unable to enjoy the general
benefits that are accessible to all. Such disadvantaged groups include people
with disabilities, older people, prisoners, as well as rural dwellers. Some of
these persons are more likely to be injured or become ill suddenly or come in
contact with someone needing help.
“The
aim of this training is to make first aid practices available to these people
in order to make them able to provide timely and effective assistance in case
of emergencies, to help reduce the damage to victim until the arrival of
medical help”.
The
Principal of the school, Mr Anthony Agu while commending the Red Cross for the
training, called for support from individuals and organizations. “We appreciate
the Red Cross for this skill they have impacted in us today. It will be of
utmost relevance to our students and will go a long way to help us know how to
take care of ourselves in emergency situations. “I also want to seek the
support and assistance of other organizations and well meaning Nigerians. There
are so many things lacking in this school because it is a vocational center.
“Our students are into tailoring, carpentry, shoe making, computer repairs and
so on and we lack equipment for these and more.
We
depend solely on state government provisions. They are doing their best but it
is usually not enough”. One of the beneficiaries, Mr Osinachi Orji who
described the training as an eye-opener, said that the knowledge garnered will
be very important in their everyday activity. “We engage in regular sports
activities here and do experience periodic emergencies which most times, we do
not know how to handle them.
“However, I believe that
with the knowledge we have gotten today, we will be able to assist ourselves
whenever the need arise. The school was presented with first aid kits by the
Red Cross, to support the students while responding to emergencies.
Read more at:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/09/group-trains-40-disabled-persons-on-special-emergency-response-in-enugu/
The Nigeria Red Cross Society has pledged to
do more to assist those affected by violence and armed conflicts and other
disasters in Nigeria.
The National President of the Nigerian Red
Cross, Elder (Chief) Bolaji Akpan Anani, made this pledge during the 70th
Geneva Convention anniversary celebration held in Abuja.
The National President noted that the major
impact of armed conflicts and violence is the displacement and separation of
family members saying that “the Nigerian Red Cross Society had received over
twenty thousand request for missing persons who as a result of armed conflicts
and other incidents in Nigeria.”
He also said that apart from family
separation, losing family members and loved ones, coping with uncertainty, anguish
and psychological pains, people are also faced with economic, administrative,
and legal challenges ranging from assessing accounts, managing property and
even to remarry. The impact on individuals, families, and community at large is
among the most damaging and long lasting humanitarian consequences of conflicts
and violence” he concluded.
To this end, the international humanitarian
law aims at minimizing the impacts of arm conflicts on people, this includes
obligation which seeks to ensure that families are not thrown apart. “Persons should not go missing, in the first
place, and if separation occurs, families have the right to know the fate and
where about of their loved ones either alive or dead. Every time someone goes
missing a family is waiting in anguish for the news of their family members”,
said Anani.
In his goodwill message, Elder Anani commended
the International Committee of Red Cross for its commitment in the protection,
financial, moral, and social assistance to the most vulnerable in times of war
and conflicts through the Nigeria Red Cross society saying “the NRCS sees the
pains of the wounded, the despair of the displaced, and the grief of the
aggravated in crisis and strives to put smiles on their faces. Perhaps
addressing these challenges lies with the authorities of the state and all
parties to the conflict” Anani advocated.
The NRCS in collaboration with ICRC has often
times received request from families over missing family members through
volunteers in the field. So far, NRCS has over twenty two thousand case files
of missing persons.. Jointly, NRCS and ICRC through the teams in the field,
search in villages and IDP camps with missing person’s names and photos, going
from door to door until it yields result.
Earlier that day, the NRCS President had a
brief meeting with the ICRC President, Mr.Peter Maurer who is on a visit to
Nigeria to explore more areas of collaboration in Nigeria.. During the meeting,
the 2 Presidents discussed the challenges and set goals that can improve the organization.
The NRCS President further emphasized the need
to review the subject of complementarity at the global leadership. He advocated
that complementarity should be extended
beyond mandate to capacity building, skills, reach, and funds to work as it is
too expensive to run through the system.”.
Responding to this, President Maurer noted
that it is also his vision to build capacities in the NRCS as this will go a long way in giving positive humanitarian responses so as not to get stuck in
the mandate.
.“I am positive we can do it, it’s a lot of
ground work, we have to look for sources of money for instance like looking
into capacity building funds, Africa development bank, and even individual
donors for support to carry out this project”, said Maurer.
We care for children, protect their welfare, and prepare them for the future.
