UNICEF provides 200 relief kits, therapeutic food for rescued Woro kidnap victims
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has provided relief materials, including 200 kits and therapeutic food, to residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State who were recently rescued from kidnapping.
The intervention, carried out in collaboration with the Kwara State Government and the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, is aimed at addressing some of the immediate needs of the rescued victims and supporting their recovery.
The materials were distributed to identified beneficiaries during an intervention programme in Ilorin attended by representatives of UNICEF, the Kwara State Government, RUWASSA, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation, WHO, and other partners.
UNICEF WASH Specialist, Theresa Pamma, said the intervention included 200 kits, four cartons of F75 therapeutic food, 30 Mama Kits and 197 dignity kits.
She said the support was not merely an emergency response but part of efforts to reduce the burden on the state government and the affected residents as they work towards regaining stability.
According to her, the materials were carefully selected to respond to some of the immediate needs of the rescued persons.
Pamma said UNICEF would continue to support government efforts and work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that vulnerable persons received appropriate assistance, protection and essential services.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Yinusa Lade, who was represented by the Director of Personnel, Finance and Supply, Bamidele Ajeje, thanked UNICEF for the intervention.
He said the support went beyond the materials distributed, describing it as an effort to restore dignity, strengthen hope and reduce the difficulties faced by the rescued residents.
Lade assured that the Kwara State Government would ensure the materials reached the intended beneficiaries based on their identified needs, adding that the government would continue to coordinate interventions for vulnerable residents.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, represented by the Director of Primary Healthcare, Dr Oguntoye Michael, commended UNICEF for its support to the state, particularly for women, children and other vulnerable populations.
The General Manager of RUWASSA, Olorunfemi Oladipo, said the intervention reflected the importance of partnerships in responding to humanitarian needs.
He said the agency would continue to work with UNICEF and other stakeholders to ensure that water, sanitation, health, nutrition and other dignity-related interventions reached people who needed them most.
The WHO Kwara State Coordinator, Dr Eyitayo Emmanuel, also commended UNICEF for responding to the needs of the rescued Woro residents, stressing the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies and development partners to support their recovery.
The event featured the presentation and distribution of the intervention materials to the beneficiaries, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the support would provide relief and help the rescued residents rebuild their lives.
