By Ladi Jossy, Maiduguri

Oxfam in Nigeria and the Christian Rural and Urban Development (CRUDAN) have supported a total of 1,500 households affected by the recent flooding in Borno state with hygiene kits.
 
Speaking during the distribution exercise on Tuesday, the country Director for Oxfam, John Makina, said the three councils were severely impacted by the recent flood disasters.
 
He disclosed that the intervention aimed to assist the victims and state government due to the enormous impact of the floods on Maiduguri and its environs.
 
“In Borno State, we are working with two other partners. The first, which is CRUDAN, is focusing on non-food items that they are distributing, and CATAI, who are actually distributing and providing support to those that were affected by the flooding with wash-related interventions.
 
For Oxfam, he said, “Oxfam is responsible for the multiple cash distributions that we have provided to the different households in the area.”
 
Meanwhile, the Director of CRUDAN, Joseph Gyandi, said the effort was aimed at supporting the state government and other stakeholders in their efforts to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims. 
 
According to him, “We know the flood that ravaged the city of Maiduguri and the surrounding local governments; this has become so pertinent for us as an organisation to work in terms of taking care of the acute crisis response that the people here will not go into a situation of disease outbreak and many other related diseases.”
 
He further said that considering the magnitude of the devastation caused by the flood that ravaged 17 wards in Maiduguri and environs, the group seeks to offer assistance through intervention that was funded by the Dutch Relief Alliance.
 
“Our priority is water and hygiene intervention. We have 1,500 households in general benefiting from this very intervention in three local governments of the state; this initiative is enhancing the hygiene practices among the affected populace,” Joseph disclosed.
 
On his part, the Humanitarian Project Coordinator CRUDAN, Tafuko Tabwassah, explained that the two-day intervention, which targeted a total of 1,500 households, will cover “400 households in the Masisandari ward in MMC, 350 households in Galtimari, 350 households in Usmanti Konduga, and 400 households in Mashamari Kwanan Yobe, respectively.”

He said the items distributed include plastic gloves, face marks, plastic boots, scrubbing  bushes, disinfectant sects, buckets, napkins, jerrycan, brooms, water hose, plastic waste bir,  apron, and others.
 
Two among the beneficiaries, Hajja Zara and Falmata Bulama, expressed their gratitude for the timely intervention, acknowledging the positive impact of the hygiene kits on their families’ well-being.