Exercise “Uwar Uma” seeks to strengthen community preparedness, evacuation and emergency response across flood-prone areas.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced preparations to reduce flood-related deaths and protect livelihoods in Benue State.

The agency’s Acting Zonal Director, North Central, Sulieman Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday in Makurdi during a training and orientation programme ahead of a full-scale flood disaster response simulation exercise.

The exercise, code-named “Uwar Uma,” meaning “Saving Lives” in Tiv, is designed to assess the ability of communities and emergency agencies to respond promptly to riverine and urban flooding.

NEMA Highlights Benue’s Flood Risks

Mohammed said Benue remained highly vulnerable to flooding because of its extensive river systems, floodplains, seasonal rainfall and settlements around the River Benue and its tributaries.

He stressed that flood preparedness must extend beyond issuing early-warning messages to include timely evacuation, rescue, relief and recovery efforts.

“Every weakness identified during this exercise provides an opportunity to strengthen our preparedness before a real flood emergency occurs,” he said.

The NEMA official also urged participants to prioritise the safety of emergency personnel, volunteers and members of the public throughout the simulation.

Exercise to Strengthen Emergency Coordination

According to NEMA, the simulation will help stakeholders identify gaps in communication, logistics, evacuation arrangements and inter-agency coordination.

The exercise follows a bottom-up emergency response approach, beginning at the community level and progressing through Local Emergency Management Committees, the State Emergency Management Agency and NEMA where additional support becomes necessary.

Mohammed said lessons from the field simulation would be reviewed and documented to improve future disaster response operations.

The exercise is being conducted in collaboration with the Benue State Government and Benue State Emergency Management Agency, with support from development partners.

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