Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) has concluded the disbursement of N35,000 each to 4,912 households in Kaduna State to enable them prepare for flood.

The beneficiaries were identified in six communities from three flood-prone local councils, namely Kaduna South, Kaduna North and Chikun.

Narayi, Kabala West, Bachma, Kigo Extension, Nasarawa and Romi communities are close to River Kaduna, which may overflow due to heavy rains as predicted by the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMET).

The Shock Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) programme, the first of its kind in Nigeria, is a pilot project that equips beneficairies with financial resources on flood mitigation, hygiene promotion, Protection Against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (PSEA) as well as as other empowerment initiatives.

“Flooding is not an unforseen occurrence; there are usually early warning signs. But most people choose to ignore them due to lack of resources to take action. This project helps people to plan, prepare and prevent devastation, which is better than responding when the disaster has already struck,” says Secretary-General of NRCS, Abubakar Kende.

According to the Director, Disaster Management, Benson Agbro, “as an anticipatory activity, this project will go a long way in shaping future approaches to disaster management. A time will come when few people will be affected by such predicted disasters and thus there will be less risk to life and property.”

SRSP was funded by European Union (EU), supported by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC).