The Nigerian Red Cross Society has charged schools in Gombe State with disaster preparedness and responsiveness, particularly in cases of flooding, to safeguard children.

Gombe State branch secretary of the organisation, Murtala Aliyu, gave the charge on Monday during the launch of Disaster Risk Reduction clubs at Government Day Pilot Secondary School, Gombe, and

Government Comprehensive Day Secondary School, Deba, Gombe State.

He explained that the initiative was prompted by the recurrence of devastating floods in the state during the rainy seasons, noting that Billiri and Yamaltu-Deba local governments were severely affected by flood disasters this year.

The secretary said the Nigerian Red Cross Society, with support from the Italian government and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), launched the programme.

According to him, some of their interventions in the state after the flood disasters this year included providing shelter at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Billiri Local Government, renovating the classroom block in the area, and creating a new solar borehole in the Kanawa community.

He added that the clubs were established in schools to promote disaster preparedness and resilience.

“The idea is to prepare our youths to understand how to prevent and respond to emergencies effectively. When they are empowered with knowledge, they become agents of change who can help build safer and more resilient communities,” he said.

While in Deba, the Emir of Deba, Ahmad Usman, represented by the district head of Bokna, Abubakar Usman, applauded the Nigerian Red Cross Society for its initiative, saying it would help enlighten the community on flood responsiveness.

Our correspondent reports that during the events, the organisation also distributed learning materials, including bags, notebooks, and pamphlets containing disaster risk reduction information, among other instructional materials to students.