VSF begins 3rd phase of COVID-19 intervention

The Nigerian foundation for the support of victims of terrorism, Victims Supports Fund (VSF), has finalised plans to begin the third phase of the COVID-19 intervention from the 16^th of November 2020.

A statement signed by the spokesman of the VSF’s COVID-19 Emergency Task Force, Alkasim Abdulkadir, disclosed that the chairman of the VSF, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd), had approved a third phase of the intervention given the continuous prevalence of Coronavirus and hardship across the country.

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He said though the COVID-19 numbers have dropped in the frontline states, there were other new frontiers of infection, the food insecurity and the inadequate availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for frontline 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,” the statement quoted Gen. Danjuma as saying.

After the successful interventions in the North East, South West and South East regions of the country, the North West and North Central states of Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Niger and Plateau have been earmarked as the beneficiary states of the intervention.

The chairperson of the task force, Mrs. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, was quoted in the statement as saying that; “as the first private sector-led humanitarian initiative in the Country, this third phase of the VSF COVID-19 palliative program gives the VSF a veritable opportunity to consolidate on the impact of our interventions by giving succour to low income communities of Nigeria.”

She further added that the VSF was encouraged by the reopening of businesses and economic activities and seeing the lives of people return to normalcy in spite of the financial hardships, job losses and psychological impact of the pandemic on the lives of citizens.

Alkasim said the task force, working in close collaboration with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, will construct boreholes, sanitation and hygiene stations in schools to ameliorate the current spread of the novel coronavirus in FCT Abuja, Plateau and Nassarawa States and ensure that it eases the safe re-opening of schools.

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.