The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claims that since 2014, the number of fatalities associated with catastrophes in the territory has significantly decreased as a result of the agency's persistent efforts to educate the people.
The revelation was given by Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, interim director of FEMA's Forecasting Response Mitigation, during a road walk Thursday in Abuja to educate inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) about the significance of disaster risk reduction.
The road walk, which began at Radio House, was reportedly one of the events planned by the organisation to commemorate the 2022 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction with the subject "Early Warning and Early Action by all."
Wenegieme urged the need for the three tiers of government to create more awareness and empower emergency management bodies to carry out adequate sensitisation campaigns on the risk factors associated with disasters.
”Because of the aggressive sensitisation, FEMA had been carried out in the territory, if you look at the statistics, starting from 2014 to date, the number of deaths had drastically reduced in FCT
Wenegieme said: ”And this year in particular, we didn’t record any death and it is because of the aggressive sensitisation the agency conducted from the grassroots to the Federal Capital City city.
”We have used the town criers, local divers, volunteers, vanguards, religious leaders, Head of communities, women Leaders and all that.
”And this year, we have decided to include People with Disabilities and that is why we call it disability inclusiveness in disaster risk reduction. People that have different disabilities, we are carrying them along.”
She said that Oct. 13 of every year was set aside by the UN General Assembly as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is celebrated all over the world.
”In the FCT, we started the programme three days ago with various programmes on Radio and Television stations.
”We also made sure that our jingles were in all the stations that will get to the grassroots, because we always feel that the most vulnerable people are those at the grassroots.
”When we talk about disasters, we are talking about disasters of every kind. We are not just talking about flooding, but other types of disasters.
”They include epidemics, fire incidents, building collapses, earth tremors and other hazards that people experience within their communities,” Wenegieme said.
She, therefore, enjoined the FCT residents to identify the common hazard within their environment which may lead to disaster and how it could be prevented.
Wenegieme said: “Once that can be avoided, we plead with all the residents of FCT to see how they can avert it, because it can e prevented.
”And that is the one we call avoidable disaster or human induced disaster.
”The natural ones, if you are aware when they come within your environment, you think of how to mitigate it and that is why we are creating this awareness in order to save lives and properties.
”And if we cannot completely save lives, we reduce the impact and that is why this day is very important in the whole world.”
Also, Mr Innocent Alobu, Community Based Inclusive Disability Program Officer, Christian Blind Mission, an NGO, said there was need to include Persons with Disability in disaster response preparedness.