By Muhammad Amaan
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), on Saturday donated food supplements to 250 households for under-5 children affected by the Maiduguri flood disaster.
FAO Country Representative in Nigeria, Koffy Kouacou handed over the items to Prof. Ibrahim Umar, the Borno Co-Chairman of Relief Distribution Committee for Flood-Affected Communities in Borno State.
Kouacou was represented by Ahmed Muhammed, the FAO Focal Person, in the relief distribution committee.
“FAO is here again in continuation of our relief support to the flood affected communities in Borno State, particularly in Maiduguri, Jere and Mafa Local Government Areas.
“This intervention is a special intervention because it focuses mainly on under-five children as they are part of the most vulnerable in our society in terms of disaster, just like the flood we are having.”
Koucou said that a total of 3,000 packs of Tom Brown supplements had been provided for the children, while 250 fuel efficient stoves and 250 bags of charcoal were distributed to 250 households in Limanti community in Maiduguri.
“Each child of under-five is entitled to 12 packs of Tom Brown that can sustain him or her for a period of eight weeks, which is two months, to fight against malnutrition.
“In order to enhance the cooking energy needs of the households, we are providing fuel-efficient stoves which are environmentally friendly and, at the same time, charcoal that can sustain the usage of the stoves itself.
“What we do in the Limanti community is a continuation of what we did in the Shokari community.
“We are targeting 5,000 children to receive this support. And also, as we are doing this to human beings, we have another package also for animals,” he said.
According to him, FAO will vaccinate 40,000 animals in Maiduguri, Mafa and Jere LGAs and support flood-affected communities with farm inputs.
“In order to give them a kind of alternative, FAO is coming up with dry season farming kits support for affected households,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the Borno State Government, the co-chairman of Borno relief distribution committee, Umar, thanked FAO for its sustained support to the state.
“Thank you very much. We are glad and really appreciative for the effort of FAO.
Indeed, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is much appreciative of your efforts and the Borno State Government in particular,” Umar said.
