With over 500 of its military personnel deployed in the ongoing African led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), Nigeria has handed over a total of 1110 metric tons of assorted relief materials to Malian government for internally displaced persons as a result of the ongoing armed conflict in the region.
The items were transported in 37 trucks and delivered on Saturday by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
A statement on Sunday signed by NEMA Head of Public Relations, Yushau Shuaib said the Director General of the agency, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, had stated that the relief intervention was released based on the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The president, he said approved urgent delivery of the relief materials to the affected population in addition to the deployment of a contingent of the Nigeria military to ensure that normalcy is returned to Mali. The items comprised foods, clothing, household utensils, detergent, antiseptic, mosquito nets and beddings.
The NEMA’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade who led the team of aid and emergency workers to Mali said “the recent draught and the ongoing armed conflict in Northern Mali, occasioned by insurgency and rebellion has created a serious humanitarian crisis and displacement of persons in the country. It becomes necessary for friendly nations to render logistic and humanitarian assistance and to restore normalcy and avert the spillover of the unfortunate event to the border areas of Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritain and other countries of the sub-region”
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mali Mr Iliya Ali Nuhu, who presented the items to Malian minister of humanitarian affairs Mamadou Sidibe at the Nigerian Embassy in Bamako, said the humanitarian gesture was in line with mutual cooperation and the friendly relations between the two countries, saying the gesture also demonstrates collective solidarity towards sustaining peace and stability in the West African sub-region.
Receiving the items, Malian minister of humanitarian affairs Mamadou Sidibe described the gesture as timely, and therefore thanked people and government of Nigeria for the humanitarian effort which he said will further strengthen the existing ties between the two countries.
“Our country and people indeed appreciate Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing military support mission in northern Mali and we shall remain grateful for this gesture”, he said.
The minister, who assured that the relief items will be delivered to the victims within a week, said Mali urgently needs humanitarian assistance following the closure of Mauritanian and Algerian borders because of the ongoing armed conflict in northern Mali.
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