The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA) has witnessed a busy and engaging month in September this year, with series of events, programs and intervention activities.
This development was necessitated by incidents where several parts of Yobe were affected by natural disasters caused mainly by flooding.
The affected areas also includes various parts of Damaturu, the state’s capital and has claimed lives and damaged properties worth millions of naira.
The activities of YOSEMA within the month ranges from intervention on students, educational facilities, livelihoods support, training and job creations as well as palliative distributions among other things.
Notably, about five local government areas of the state were the top beneficiaries of YOSEMA activities within the month.
The agency has also within the month, engaged with major international development partners in the state to actualize some of this objectives.
In the first week of the month, YOSEMA started with attending to victims of flood within the capital city. This was following a damage assessment exercise carried out earlier by the agency.
Reports from YOSEMA indicated that the flood incidents have affected over 200 households and injured more than 10 people while an undisclosed number of lives have been lost.
In the same week, YOSEMA has in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) trained 80 youths from Potiskum local government area of the state on vocational skills.
According to data from the agency, the beneficiaries of this program are mostly women, 49, while 29 are men, and one disabled person each from both gender.
They were trained in different categories of skills, including Cosmetology, shoe crafting, computer operation and tailoring.
YOSEMA’s activities in the second week involved conclusion of the renovation of Dorawa Primary School, also in Potiskum.
The renovation of the school was earlier directed by the state governor, Alh. mai Mala Buni in July, YOSEMA noted.
From the 10th to 13th of the month, YOSEMA continued with palliative distributions across Gashua and Bade local government areas, where it says to have reached upto 7,500 households.
Additionally, the agency has distributed palliatives to 36 orphanage homes, with an estimated beneficiary of 8,000 orphans.
In a similar report, YOSEMA rounded the second week with another partnership program with UNDP to support 900 people with livelihood startup packages.
These includes, fish kits to 100 beneficiaries, comprising of fish tank, net, two buckets, one bag of fish feed and 50 juvenile fish for stocking. A borehole was also drilled to support the fish farmers and water truckers.
Also part of the package are another 500 beneficiaries who received livestocks, a male goat, two females goats and feeds. Among them, 300 were given cash grant of N100,000 each, and according to YOSEMA, these beneficiaries are mostly female breadwinners and people with disabilities.
Dr. Mohammed Goje, executive secretary of YOSEMA lead his team to the distribution of 80 bunk beds, 100 pieces of mattresses in Government Girls College, Dapchi, in Dapchi local government area of Yobe in the third week.
Additionally in the school, a Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB) examination fees for 22 students, 14 among who had A1 in Mathematics in 2023 WAEC, have been paid.
Also, a food basket was donated to 21 SS3 teachers and exam officers at the school.
The third week ended with the support of a pregnant woman who delivered a baby in a motorcycle at a bush near Kushimaga and Gagure political wards of Gulani local government area of the state.
On the 22nd, YOSEMA introduced United Nations (UN) and some International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) officials to the new commissioner of humanitarian affairs in the state, Dr. Mairo A. Amshi.
Dr. Goje led all the humanitarian and development partners working in the state for the formal introduction.
The last week of the month of September continued with the ongoing palliatives distribution, within which the agency said it has reached about 6,400 households across 19 clusters in 10 political wards of Geidam local government area of the state.
Tasked with emergency responses in the state, the YOSEMA executive secretary said that the agency is receiving unyielding support from the state governor, who he said, has placed serious priority on their activities and does not hesitate in directing them to carry out timely, adequate and effective interventions.
