As part of efforts to provide relief and strengthen support for affected communities, the Yobe State Government, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has flagged off the distribution of food baskets to 6,000 vulnerable households affected by various disasters across the state.

Represented by the Acting Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mohammed Goje, at the ceremony, Governor Buni expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) for donating the items through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The governor said the distribution of the food baskets reflects international solidarity with vulnerable communities and complements the efforts of both the Federal and Yobe State governments in providing relief to affected populations.

Governor Buni noted that Yobe has experienced several humanitarian and climate-related challenges, including flooding, windstorms, fire outbreaks, and communal conflicts, which have disrupted livelihoods and increased vulnerabilities in many communities.

He said his administration has continued to respond proactively through emergency interventions and disaster preparedness initiatives aimed at protecting lives and property.

According to him, the state government developed a comprehensive flood preparedness plan targeting more than 126,000 vulnerable households in high-risk communities, with measures designed to reduce the impact of potential disasters.

"Our approach is anchored on a simple but powerful principle, humanitarian assistance must lead to resilience, and resilience must lead to sustainable development," the governor stated.

He also urged stakeholders involved in the distribution exercise to ensure transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to beneficiary selection guidelines to guarantee that assistance reaches those most in need.

Earlier, in her remarks, the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar disclosed that KSrelief donated 24,302 food baskets for distribution to vulnerable households in Yobe, Benue, Anambra, Kebbi, and Taraba States.

"In Yobe, a total of 6,000 households that have been profiled will be receiving the food baskets provided by KSrelief under this intervention," she said

Mrs. Umar explained that the distribution would be jointly implemented by NEMA, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and trained volunteers to ensure accountability and transparency.

She also called on residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning advisories and adopt preventive measures as the rainy season intensifies.

The NEMA Director-General commended the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their continued humanitarian assistance to Nigeria and reaffirmed the agency's commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the intervention

On his part the representative of the donor partner KSrelief Humanitarian Aid, Alanazi Majeed Salem said his visit to Yobe was to supervise the distribution exercise and report back to the donors adding that he was impressed to see that the targeted beneficiaries are receiving their relief items with dignity.