The Nigerian Foundation for the support of the Victims of Terrorism (VSF) said it has finalised plans to begin the third phase of the Covid-19 emergency task force intervention.
The programme, which starts on November 16, 2020, would have the North West and North Central states of Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Niger and Plateau as beneficiaries.
The Spokesman of the VSF Covid-19 emergency task force, Alkasim Abdulkadir, in a statement sent to Blueprint in Abuja on Sunday, said the Chairman of the VSF, General TY Danjuma, had approved a third phase of the intervention given the continuous prevalence of Coronavirus and hardship across the country.
The statement quoted Danjuma saying that though the Covid-19 numbers have dropped in the frontline states, there are other new frontiers of infection, the food insecurity and the inadequate availability of PPEs for front line workers and citizens still remained a challenge.
“We are grateful that according to information from the Presidential Task Force, Corona infections have greatly reduced, but danger has not been fully averted, and we must remain very vigilant.
“After the successful interventions in the North East, South West and South Eastern regions of the country, the North West and North Central States of Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Niger and Plateau have been selected as the benefiting states,” Danjuma said.
The statement also quoted the Chairperson of the VSF Covid-19 Task Force, Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, as saying that the third phase of VSF COVID-19 palliative program would give the VSF the opportunity to consolidate on the impact of its various interventions of giving succour to low income communities in Nigeria.
She said: “The VSF emergency task force on Covid-19 working in close collaboration with the Presidential Task Force will construct boreholes, sanitation and hygiene stations in schools to ameliorate the current spread of the novel Coronavirus in the FCT Abuja, Plateau and Nassarawa states and ensure that it eases the safe re-opening of schools.
“Our other supports to schools will include hand sanitizers, sanitizers wristbands and facemasks for children and reusable masks for teachers in Primary Schools in low income communities.
“In this phase, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) will also be receiving support for the underserved and vulnerable populations.”
