National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has commenced distribution of food items donated by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to 500 vulnerable households in Kano State.
NEMA Director-General, Mr Mustapha Habib, while inaugurating the distribution in Kano, said it was in line with the provisions of humanitarian services to the people affected by natural and human-induced disasters.
It was reported that the leadership of Saudi Arabia-established KSrelief has been providing humanitarian aid and relief to those in need, outside the kingdom’s borders.
Habib, who was represented by NEMA’s Planning, Research and Forecasting Officer, Hajiya Fatima Kassim, said that the donation was timely, as it coincided with the holy month of Ramadan.
He said,
“The 500 vulnerable households affected by disasters in Bunkure communities and other local government areas of Kano State were profiled by NEMA, in collaboration with Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
“Each household will get a total of 59.8kg of food items, including rice (25kg), beans (25kg), masa vita flour (4kg), tomato paste (2kg), vegetable oil (2 litres) and salt (0.8kg).”
Habib said that NEMA, in collaboration with KSrelief, had donated food baskets to 8,050 internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states between 2018 and 2021.
“The food items will go a long way in contributing to the recovery process of the beneficiaries who have been impacted by insurgency,” he stated.
The director-general commended King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman, the Manager of KSrelief as well as the people of Saudi Arabia for their continued concern and support.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Saleh Jili of SEMA commended the foundation for the gesture which, he said, was the first of its kind.
He also appreciated NEMA for influencing and directing the donation to the state, while urging the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously.
Earlier, the Deputy Counsel General, Saudi Embassy, Kano, Alhaji Nawaf Muhammad, said that the donation was to cushion the difficulties the beneficiaries were facing and pledged to continue the gesture.
Malam Abdulaziz Muhammad, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended KSrelief and the agency for the gesture and called for its sustainability.