Shell spends $1m to support flood victims in Niger Delta

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) says it has committed one million dollars to provide relief materials to people impacted by the current flood disaster in the Niger Delta.

A statement issued on Wednesday by  SPDC’s Media Relations  Manager, Mrs  Abimbola Essien-Nelson noted that the gesture was solely underwritten by the energy firm exclusive of its joint venture partners in Nigeria.

Essien-Nelson explained that the donation would be used to procure and distribute food and non-food relief materials, as well as medical supplies, to impacted communities hosting Shell operations in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Imo.

“Similar to our response in the 2012 flood disaster, staff of Shell companies in Nigeria are also contributing towards a voluntary fund for the purchase of additional relief materials for impacted people,” SPDC stated.

The statement reported the Country Chairman, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr Osagie Okunbor, as saying that the company was concerned that the flood waters had further hampered socio-economic activities in the region.

“We hope that our assistance can help them cope with the impact of this tragedy.”

The energy firm noted that its support came as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced that the floods continued to have widespread impact across the country, affecting 29 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.

Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa said that about one million residents of the state were displaced, leading to a humanitarian crisis beyond the capacity of the state to cope.

Bayelsa said it had so far spent N900 million in the upkeep of flood victims at several Internally Displaced Persons camps across the state in the past three weeks.