The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has said that collaboration between the government and the private sector is needed to tackle the devastating impact of climate change in Nigeria.
President, of the Nigerian Red Cross, and vice-president of the Africa region of the IFRC, Bolaji Anani made this known on Wednesday at an event in Lagos, themed โMoving Beyond Green: A Dialogue on Accelerated Climate Change Action.
Speaking on the importance of the event and the need for partnership with the private sector, Anani said that government alone could not tackle the effects of climate change.
He explained that the growing threat of climate change provides the private sector with the opportunity to team up with the Red Cross to deliver aid to communities in need and help to reduce the pain and misery that people often experience in disaster situations.
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โThe responsibility to respond to the threat and effects of climate change is one that needs a collective approach, and one that cannot be left to players in the humanitarian sector alone,โhe said.
He noted that funds that will be used to improve emergency response for communities impacted by climate change are usually through the IFRCโs disaster response emergency fund (DREF).
Also speaking during the meeting, the head of the delegation, Abuja country cluster, Bhupinder Tomar said that DREF has made it possible for the Nigerian Red Cross branches to anticipate, respond and aid affected states.
โAs we see in Nigerian states such as Kogi, Jigawa, Anambra, and other states where we have witnessed higher than usual rainfall this year, the DREF has made it possible for the Nigerian Red Cross branches to anticipate, respond and provide assistance to people who the floods have displaced, and is empowering the Red Cross to give them much-needed care packages that will help them till they are able to find some respite,โ he said.
He maintained that climate change is a slow-onset disaster which is upsetting the lives of many people around the world and that In Nigeria, the people who suffer the most from the effects of climate change are often economically and socially disenfranchised, making it even more challenging to contend with the impacts of climate change.
Story was adapted from theCable.
