Catholic Priest asks for more palliatives for flood victims
The Spiritual Director of Canaanland Adoration Ministries Worldwide, Rev. Fr Magnus Ebere, has requested Nigerians to extend more assistance to flood victims in parts of the country.
Canaanland Adoration Ministries Worldwide is headquartered in Umuoma Onicha Mbaise, in Imo with a counseling centre at Nnobi, in Anambra.
Ebere, popularly known as Fr E- Dey Work, made the plea in a statement which he signed and made available to newsmen in Owerri, on Thursday.
The Priest who is also a member of the Society of Divine Vocations (SDV) said it was time for Nigerians to jettison all differences and join government and other organisations to help families hit by the flood, no matter how little.
He added that with over 569,000 hectares of farmland already destroyed due to the damage from the floods ahead of October harvest season, Nigeria was left at a risk of food insecurity.
” There is no gift that is too small for a man in need. Let us not wait for so much when the little we can do will go a long way.
“Those with extra houses and rooms can offer accommodation to some of the victims, thus reducing the pressure on the make shift camps where many of them are currently residing,” he said.
It will be recalled that 3.2 million persons in 34 of the country ‘s 36 states were affected by the floods which eventually displaced 1.4 million persons with over 600 persons dead.
Also, the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) had already issued a Floods Emergency Appeal of 13 million dollars to provide clean water, emergency shelter and cash to half a million people in several states.
The priest, however, said that more was needed to be done in the area of health assistance to victims especially, women and children of affected families.
He urged medical associations nationwide to continue to visit affected areas, treating those already with certain ailments as a direct result from infections arising from their living conditions.
” Haven been to some areas in Imo that are affected by the floods, we have assessed the situation and the devastation is appalling.
“”It will dissolve the hardest hearts to behold what victims of these floods are going through.
“As a ministry whose interest is the well-being of humanity, in the next few days, we plan to revisit the affected flood victims, and take relief materials to as many as we can, but this can not be enough.
” We call on non governmental and international organisations, to rally round the victims,” he said.
He assured the victims that his Canaanland Adoration Ministries Worldwide (E-dey work) would do its best to ensure that as many of the flood victims as possible were reached, with what it had raised to ameliorate their plights.
