The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reiterated its commitment to the prioritization of persons with disabilities during emergency response to disaster.
A statement by the agency’s spokesman,Kunle Sanni says Director-General of the Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, stated this when he received in audience the the Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Dr James David Lalu on a courtesy visit to NEMA headquarters in Abuja.
Persons with disabilities are at the heart of NEMA duties, Mr. Ahmed was quoted to have said as the agency has already created a Vulnerable Care Unit that was to cater for persons with special needs, including those with disabilities.
He further said that persons with disabilities will continue to be carried along in documentation of people affected by disasters and in the distribution of relief items.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary NCPWD, Dr James David Lalu said he was at NEMA headquarters to seek collaboration of the Agency for disability inclusiveness in disaster management in Nigeria. He particularly asked for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be worked out between NEMA and NCPWD to strengthen integration of disability in Disaster Risk Reduction and capacity building for vulnerable care officers in emergency management.
