The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has expressed concern over the poor participation of the private sector in emergency relief response for Internally Displaced Persons in the North-East.
North-East Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar, expressed the concern in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Tuesday.
Kanar said that the attitude of leaving everything to government was over, as it could not afford to carter for the needs of all the people.
He said that private organisations and well-meaning individuals from the region should assist their people who were in serious need for survival.
According to the coordinator, their assistance would improve the living standard of the affected victims especially in the areas of health, shelter, food and other humanitarian needs.
“The agency provides necessary and emergency relief materials to the victims of disaster.
“There’s need for the voluntary organisations such as health organisations, education, counselling and rehabilitation unions and others to continue from where the agency stopped to reduce the suffering of IDPs.’’
He expressed concern that thousands of children of internally displaced persons in the region were out of school, adding that they needed urgent attention. Kanar said that the major problem facing the operation of the agency in its effort to reach out to the victims of insurgency attacks in time was the insecurity.
“The agency has a quick response team but due to insecurity challenges, the team finds it difficult to reach the affected areas in time,’’ he said.
He thanked the affected state governments for their cooperation in assisting the agency to carry out its assignment effectively. (NAN)
