The Nigerian Red Cross yesterday commenced evacuation of flood victims to the 28 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the eight affected Local Government Areas of Anambra State, affected by this year’s flood.

The IDPs, which have been equipped with all the essential facilities, including water, tents, toilet facilities, mattresses and blankets, are located in Anambra East, which has six camps, Awka North (3), Ayamelum (6), Ekwusigo (2), Ogbaru (3), Onitsha North (4), Onitsha South (2) and Ihiala (2).

Information has it that Red Cross got involved in the exercise following the reluctance of most of the victims to vacate their flooded homes.

It was reported last week that water hyacinth had grown on the Anambra River and was hindering efforts to evacuate the flood victims in the state to safer areas.

Speaking at a capacity building programme for volunteers of the organisation involved in the evacuation process in Awka, the Vice Chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross, Professor Peter Katchy said that the camps had been fully prepared to receive the flood victims.

He said though some of the flood victims were reluctant to leave their flooded homes, the volunteers had been trained to counsel them by reminding them that it would be in their best interest to relocate until the flood recedes.

He said that as the first respondent to any emergency, the Red Cross was prepared to handle the situation and urged people in the affected communities to adhere to the advice of the volunteers working in their areas.

Kachi who stressed that the ongoing recession in the country was affecting the evacuation process added that Red Cross usually excelled more during crisis situations.

“As part of the emergency management and risk reduction strategies against the 2016 riverine flooding, Red Cross and other relevant agencies have provided the basic infrastructure and facilities such as roads, communication and systems, aimed at making it easier for more efficient search-and-rescue responses,” he said.

He maintained that the agencies have also carried out vigorous awareness campaigns and public education on risk treatment and reduction strategies and inaugurated integrated community –based disaster risk reduction programmes such as emergency management committees, extension services on modern farming techniques and also deployed hydrographic information to determine peak flow periods and characteristics to be able to reliably predict flood periods.

•Photo shows flooded Nigerian community.