The South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has donated relief materials, including 3,500 bags of rice and 450 mattresses, to communities affected by flooding in Abia in 2026.
Dr Cliff Ogbede, SEDC Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, handed over the items to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Umuahia on Saturday.
Ogbede said the donation also included diapers for children and sanitary pads for mothers affected by the flooding.
He said SEMA had requested emergency assistance, prompting the commission to respond swiftly to the state’s humanitarian needs.
According to him, SEDC could not operate in isolation from governors across the South-East.
Ogbede conveyed the goodwill of SEDC Managing Director Mark Okoye to the state.
He described Gov. Alex Otti as a key pillar of development and growth in the South-East.
He assured the state that the commission would sustain its partnership with Abia and extend similar interventions across the region.
Receiving the materials, SEMA Executive Secretary Dr Sunday Jackson thanked SEDC for its intervention in flood-affected communities.
Jackson said the donation had arrived at a critical time and would significantly improve the welfare of displaced residents. He assured the commission that the materials would be distributed to the intended beneficiaries.
He also commended Otti for creating an enabling environment for an effective emergency response in the state.
Jackson said the intervention would help mitigate the humanitarian impact of the 2026 flooding in Abia.
