UAE donates 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid for flood victims in Nigeria

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has donated “50 tonnes of humanitarian aid” to the federal government to support those affected by recent floods.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced the development in a statement on Sunday.

On September 10, thousands of residents fled their homes as flood ravaged swathes of Fori, Galtimari, Gwange, and Bulabulin areas of Maiduguri.

The flood occurred due to the collapse of the Alau Dam which has been at full capacity for the past week.

Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara, have also been affected by flood recently.

NEMA said the relief materials were delivered to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and handed over by Salem Alshamsi, UAE ambassador to Nigeria.

“He mentioned that this donation, initiated by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Al Nahyan, reflects the UAE’s ongoing commitment to assisting countries impacted by natural disasters,” the statement reads.

“Top officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) received the items on behalf of the victims.

“Dr. Ahmed Dunoma, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed gratitude on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, while acknowledging existing strong ties between Nigeria and the UAE.

“In same vein, the NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, also appreciated the Government of UAE for the gesture noting that this will certainly complement the bold efforts by the Federal Government to provide succour and assist flood affected persons to recover from the disaster.”