Red Cross commences evacuation of flood victims in Anambra

Red Cross of Nigeria has commenced the evacuation of flood victims to the 28 Internally Displaced Persons, (IDP) camps in the eight affected local government areas of Anambra State affected by this year’s flood.

The IDPs, which were equipped with the necessary facilities to including tents, water, toilet facilities, mattresses and blankets.

Anambra East has six camps, Awka North three, Ayamelum six, Ekwusigo two, Ogbaru three, Onitsha North four, Onitsha South two and Ihiala two.

It was gathered that the involvement of Red Cross in the exercise was due to the reluctance of most of the victims to vacate their flooded homes apparently for the fear of the unknown.

There were also reports last week that water hyacinth that had grown on the Anambra River was posing difficulties in the attempt to evacuate the flood victims in the state to safer areas.

Vice Chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross, Professor Peter Katchy, said yesterday during capacity building for volunteers of the organization involved in the evacuation process in Awka, that the camps had been fully prepared to receive the flood victims.

He said though some of the flood victims were reluctant to leave their flooded homes, the volunteers had been trained to counsel them by reminding them that it would be in their best interest to relocate until the flood receded.

According to him, as the first respondent to any emergency, the Red Cross was prepared to handle the situation and urged people in the affected communities to adhere to the advice of the volunteers working in their areas.

While admitting that the ongoing recession in the country was affecting the evacuation process, Katchy observed that Red Cross usually excelled more during crisis situations.

He said: “As part of the emergency management and risk reduction strategies against the 2016 riverine flooding, Red Cross and other relevant agencies have provided the basic infrastructure and facilities such as roads, communication and systems, aimed at making it easier for more efficient search –and-rescue responses.

“We have also carried out vigorous awareness campaigns and public education on risk treatment and reduction strategies and inaugurated integrated community –based disaster risk reduction programmes such as emergency management committees, extension services on modern farming techniques and deployed hydrographic information to determine peak flow periods and characteristics to be able to reliably predict flood periods.”