The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigeria Red Cross have disbursed N175 million to 5,000 households in three local government areas of Kaduna State as part of measures to mitigate the effect of flooding during the 2022 rainy season.
The 5,000 households that have been affected by floods along the Kaduna River area in the past 10 years, were given the sum of N35,000 each to help them to prepare for anticipated floods as the water level of River Kaduna increases.
Beneficiaries of the cash transfer, under the Shock Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) project in Kaduna State, were selected from six flood-prone communities of Narayi, Romi, Nasarawa, Kigo, Bashama and Kabala West in Chikun, Kaduna North and Kaduna South councils respectively, who either have had their properties destroyed or their farms washed off by floods.
The breakdown for each community is as follows Abubakar Kigo Road 1,000, Kabala West 796, Bashama Road 807, Nassarawa 792, Romi 794 and Narayi 811.
The SRSP is a pilot programme of the UNICEF Country Office in Nigeria, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), and the Nigerian Red Cross with European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) funding, in cooperation with the Red Cross-affiliated Climate Centre based in The Hague.
Between May and June this year, the Nigerian Red Cross pre-identified the 5,000 households that had met the climate vulnerability criteria according to a community targeting approach based on five selection criteria, namely expectant mothers and breastfeeding women; (women-headed households), children aged 0-5, (child-headed households), people with disabilities (sight, hearing, walking, intellectual impediment, e.g. amnesia, among others) and the elderly (from 60 years of age) multi-dimensional poverty (based on income and assets).
The purpose of the cash is to enable vulnerable communities to have adequate financial resources to mitigate and respond to the effects of floods, thereby minimising losses and reducing protection risks.
Studies have shown that assistance provided prior to the climate-related shock event lasts longer.
The early action and cash transfer prior to floods will enable affected households to mitigate the impact of predicted floods in terms of maintaining and increasing food consumption; securing shelters; protecting assets; ensuring access to jerry cans, as well as to clean water, and water purification solutions to avoid waterborne disease, and access to health-related provisions (medicines, transport for health facilities).
The objective is to avoid negative coping mechanisms, such as borrowing, exchanging sex for food or/and other necessities.
Addressing the beneficiaries at the various payment locations, the Kaduna State Coordinator of Red Cross Sunday Awulu, cautioned them not to use the funds for anything other than they are meant for.
“This money is not meant for wedding ceremonies or buying expensive clothes or for organising parties. It should not be shared with anyone, but strictly for you to mitigate the impact of the anticipated floods before it happens.
“Use it to establish small businesses, settle issues concerning your houses, erosion, and clear your drainage. Use this money to help yourselves to address some of these areas so that when subsequent floods come, it will go a long way in helping you to cope. Let us begin to intervene in advance so that when it happens, the impact will be minimal,” he added.
UNICEF Emergency Programme Specialist, Lucia Jofrice urged the beneficiaries to prepare themselves adequately before and after the floods which are anticipated before the end of August, by gathering all their important documents in a leather bag and keeping them handy.
She advised the farmers to harvest their crops, store food and move to higher ground when they hear or notice that the water level is rising. Remember to carry children, the sick, the old and people with disabilities as they move to safety. They should move to a safe place when they hear or notice an impending flood and they should not walk on roads and bridges covered with water.
Lucia also cautioned them to be very careful when returning to their houses after a flood as it may still not be safe but should ensure they verified information on floods from local authorities.
The beneficiaries thanked UNICEF and the Red Cross for the humanitarian gesture, saying their hopes have been rekindled. They promised they will use the funds judiciously.