Nigeria supports Mozambique, Zimbabwe flood victims

from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA has provided relief material to victims of deadly floods that hit Mozambique and Zimbabwe earlier this year.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has completed the airlifting of the aid, which includes drugs, medical supplies and mosquito nets, all donated by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Cyclone Idai, one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere, pummeled the countries in March. Over 1 000 people were killed overall. Thousands more were displaced.

This past weekend, NAF airlifted 12 000 kg (12 tonnes) of relief from Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja to the Maputo International Airport in Mozambique. Some 8 100 kg was delivered to the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe.

NAF and the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) handed over the items to officials from the Nigeria High Commission in the two countries, for onward delivery to their host governments.

Nigeria had earlier donated 15 000 kg of similar relief material to Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

“The airlift missions are to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims,” said Air Commodore Ibinkule Daramola, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information.

He said the missions were executed in furtherance of the NAF’s constitutional roles of projecting air-power beyond the borders of the West African country.

Earlier in August, NAF airlifted 38 000 kg of government-donated relief material to Sierra Leone in the aftermath of devastating mudslides and floods.

– CAJ News