As a result of the ravaging flood wreaking havoc in different parts of the country, about 22 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps have been set up in Delta State.

Twelve of the camps were created by the Delta State Government, while about 10 others were set up by communities and people that are not disposed to moving into the government Holding Camps which are not near their original places of abode.

The Flood Management Committee created recently by the State Government is, however, providing for the needs of the people in the private camps.

Speaking after inspecting some of the Holding Camps and areas affected by the flood, the Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Kayode Fagbemi, commended the state government for being proactive in handling the effects of the flood.

Mr. Fagbemi, who led officials of NEMA and those of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on the inspection, expressed satisfaction with what was put in place in the camps visited, adding that other observations made have been passed on to the appropriate authorities.

He sympathised with the victims for the inconveniences they are suffering especially those who refused to move into government camps to avoid the unpleasant experience of 2012 when they lost valuable property to hoodlums who took advantage of the loneliness of the area to attack.

The NEMA Director noted that the effects of the flood in 2012 were more than that of this year because only a few days’ notice was given then, unlike this year that enough notice of its coming was given and governments at various levels started taking steps to handle the situation.

In some of the camps visited, non-indigenes were seen in large numbers because the camps are located in areas where the state shares boundaries with other states.

During the visits, it was observed that adequate security, light, water, well-stocked clinics, and other facilities that will make the victims feel a little bit comfortable were in place.

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