By Chimezie Godfrey
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has activated the National Emergency Management Agency humanitarian response mechanism to ensure that victims of the Maiduguri IDP camp fire incident are immediately provided with basic humanitarian items to ameliorate the effects of the fire outbreak which has displaced many families.
The Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq made the statement while sympathizing with Internally Displaced Persons at the Customs Area of Maiduguri where more than 600 shelters were razed by fire and 3,600 persons displaced.
Three lives were also lost in the inferno.
Umar Farouq who expressed sadness at the casualties stated that the spate of fire incidents in the country was becoming worrisome.
“I am depressed by the number of fire incidents which have occurred in 2021 alone. Some were accidents while some could have been avoided.
“I pray for the souls of those lost in this fire outbreak while the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry will beef up measures to protect lives and property in the various IDP camps across the country and guard against a reoccurrence”.
Meanwhile the National Emergency Management Agency has deployed sets of tents to provide make shift shelters for the IDPs at the customs House camp.
Priority will be given to the vulnerable victims especially women, children and the aged in the distribution of the relief items.
In addition, food items and basic household materials are being made available to the IDPs.
The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo said on Wednesday that the inferno might have stemmed from a cooking fire that got out of control in one of the tents.
NEMA and the SEMA are currently collaborating to put measures in place to avoid a recurrence through advocacy and sensitisation in the camps.
