Victims of a recent flood disaster in Amaegbu, Akaeze Community in Ivo LGA of Ebonyi, including a nursing mother, Mrs Blessing Chigozie, have appealed for urgent State and Federal Governments’ intervention to alleviate their suffering.
Recall that the flood, which occurred on September 22, following a heavy downpour, submerged many farmlands and houses, with over 300 persons rendered homeless.
The incident has forced many families to relocate to safer grounds and neighbouring villages.
The affected villages included Amaegbu-Akaibe-Umoihe, Umobo, Amaeze and Akaeze-Ukwu Communities.
A correspondent, who visited the affected villages on Monday, reports that some of the affected families were seen trying to fix their damaged houses to provide temporary shelter.
Some were also see struggling to salvage their personal belongings. Chigozie told NAN in an interview that the flood had rendered her family homeless, having completely destroyed her home and property.
The mother of four said the family were sleeping in an open place since the incident occurred.
“Look at me with my newborn baby. We have nowhere to go. I am begging the government and kind-hearted Nigerians to come to our aid,” she said.
Chigozie regretted that her house was among the worse-hit, adding that their building was completely pulled down by the flood.
According to her, the situation had exposed her family to severe hardship, particularly with the presence of a newborn baby and other children.
She appealed to Ebonyi and Federal Governments, humanitarian organisations and well-meaning individuals to urgently provide shelter, food, medical supplies and other relief materials to the flood victims in the community.
According to her, the affected families need immediate assistance to rebuild their lives. Chigozie also urged the authorities to initiate practical measures to prevent a recurrence.
Another victim, Mr Michael Oko, traced the flood to River Eziaku and appealed for urgent intervention to prevent further damage to communities lying by the waterway.
Oko said the flood had disrupted normal life in the area, destroyed property and stalled economic activities.
He said that the natives, who depended on farming and other small-scale businesses, had been severely affected by the disaster.
He called on relevant government agencies to visit the area to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate relief to the affected households.
He also urged the authorities to examine the cause of the recurrent flooding and develop remediation measures to control the flow of water from River Eziaku.
Another victim, Mrs Joy Chikezie, described the incident as worrisome, saying that many natives had lost both their homes and means of livelihood.
“As you can see, many houses are down here. You can’t count the number that was destroyed by this disaster.
“We are homeless and our farmlands have been destroyed too. The losses are much. We are sad, we are helpless, we need help,” Chikezie said.
The Secretary of the community, Mr Peince Ette-Igwe, put the number of houses destroyed by the menace at over 60.
“Some residents were unable to salvage their belongings before their homes were submerged. We are devastated, we are in pain because the damage it has caused us is enormous.
“We need temporary accommodation and relief materials, including food, potable water, bedding, clothing and medical supplies.
“I urge the government to also intensify assessment of the affected communities and ensure that assistance reached the most vulnerable households,” Ette-Igwe said.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi had visited the affected villages and donated N5 million to the victims.
Recall that the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that no life was lost in the disaster.