Coca-Cola Nigeria is set to support over 5,000 households displaced by the ravaging floods in Anambra and Delta States, with a relief package valued at $175,000.
The Company’s director of public affairs, communications, and sustainability, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, who disclosed this in a statement Friday, expressed sadness at the unfortunate development.
She said the Coca-Cola Foundation would be working with not-for-profit organisations in the bid to ameliorate the sufferings of the affected people.
She said, “We are dedicating the sum of $175,000 as part of efforts to reduce the traumatic situation confronting victims of flood in Anambra and Delta States. Our identified areas of intervention include Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
“Presently, over 1.3 million people need assistance, across Nigeria, as a result of floods which has affected up to 24 states. As the waters are slowly receding, the priority will be to help people recover and to regain their livelihoods. Some of the identified immediate humanitarian needs include food, clean water, hygiene support, and livelihood support, amongst others.
“For effectiveness, we are working with the Whitefield Foundation, over a three-month period starting from November 21, 2022. With a special focus on the vulnerable – the elderly, women, people living with disabilities and children, at least 30,000 individuals who make up 5,000 households would receive nutritious food packages.
“The intervention would also include health care and counselling to guard against the survivors becoming victims under similar circumstances in future, because concerns are mounting of a possible outbreak of waterborne diseases.”
The chief executive officer of Whitefield Foundation, Funmi Johnson, said they had worked out a strategic program to address the needs of the survivors and help them avoid falling victims should similar unfortunate incidents repeat in the future.
“To address the critical needs of flood survivors, we came up with a special-purpose program, code-named ‘Operation LADDER’, which means, ‘Laugh At Deluge, Drink, Eat and Rejuvenate’. With this, we intend to empower flood survivors to be filled with hope to rise and climb out of despair,” Johnson said.
