The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(UNICEF) on Monday donated no fewer than N56m worth of health-related relief materials to cushion impact of the 2022 floods in Bayelsa State.
Presenting the relief items to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele at the State Secretariat complex in Yenagoa, the Head, Port Harcourt field office of Unicef, Dr Anslem Audu stated that the UN’s Children fund was making the donations to the state following available data which specifies the state as the worst hit by the ravaging floods amongst affected states within its Port Harcourt field office.
He noted that following the height of the devastating floods, Unicef has not only deemed it fit in partnering the state to amiliorate its health effects on children and other citizen of the state, but also found it necessary to support the state through the provision of anti-malaria and typhoid drugs as well as other phamaceuticals.
He reiterated that Unicef also knew the floods have adverse consequences on the living standards of the citizens and has therefore also included, other relief materials, such as diapers for children and vulnerable adults, foot wears(rubber slippers), mattresses, sanitary pads, amongst others to donations it made to the state.
Audu said:”Unicef knew that there’ld be post flood health challenges and illnesses, so we’ve donated anti-malaria, antibiotics, diarrhoea, and other drugs to the state. But we also have added other relief materials, such as rubber foot wears, diapers and sanitary pads to the donations.
“The sum total of the donations made by Unicef to Bayelsa state is about N56m, including amount spent on logistics. We’ldn’t end with these items alone. We’ld partner the state in the area of post-flood modalities towards mitigating the impact of the floods on victims across the state.
“We’ve four states in our Port Harcourt area office. They’re Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states. The relief materials we donated today include, drugs, foot wears, insecticide treated nets, detergents, soaps and toiletries, as well as sanitary wears, amongst bothers.”
Receiving the donations onbehalf of the state government, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Newton Igwele lauded Unicef for their gesture.
Igwele noted that the Unicef was the first international body to have made donations to help the state mitigate the impact of the flood, this was even as he restated the state’s continuous resolve to partner the UN children fund.
The Commissioner who also thanked Unicef for their post-flood plan which is aimed at further supporting the state reiterated that the floods have dealt severely with the state and its citizens, describing the UN Children fund as a worthy and progressive partner.
He said: “Even as we try to manage ourselves as Bayelsans in government positions, I could imagine what this flood has caused to the lives of those who don’t have any tangible means of survival.
“Imagine what the floods have caused the state, our health facilities. Imagine the plights of children and vulnerable students, who would be struggling to safe their lives and learning materials. I thank Unicef for this gesture. You’re the first international body to have made donations of this magnitude to help the state cushion the impact of the floods.”
