The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has recorded about 743,062 persons that were internally displaced by conflicts and natural disasters in various parts of the country.

NEMA Director General, Muhammad Sani Sidi, disclosed this in Calabar at the opening of the annual consultative meeting of the agency with the heads of all the States Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs).

He explained that 676,975 of the persons were displaced by conflicts and 66,087 by natural disasters as at September 2014.

The Director General noted that “disaster occurrences and the number of affected people have risen significantly in recent years as a result of the impacts of climate change, insurgency, communal conflicts and skirmishes between farmers and pastoralists amongst others. This has no doubt impacted negatively in the area of our development as a nation aside the humanitarian crisis attendant thereto.”

These, Sani Sidi said, require urgent collective action of the stakeholders to complement the steps taken by the Federal Government which has been providing necessary assistance to the affected persons through NEMA. “The challenges faced by displaced persons call for serious commitment,” he said, adding that NEMA would continue to collaborate with the stakeholders to ensure that the distressed persons are properly taken cared of. He assured: “We will continue to do this as it constitute our primary responsibility to our citizens.”

On the consultative meeting, the NEMA DG said it was designed to appraise the available structures, facilities, challenges and prospects for efficient and effective disaster management in the country.

Declaring the meeting open, Cross River State Governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke appreciated the role of NEMA in the improvement of disaster management in the country. Imoke, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Effiok Cobham, urged the participants to identify and advise government on measures that focus on disaster prediction and prevention.

•Photo shows NEMA DG Sani Sidi.