Anambra State branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society as said that about twenty thousand people are currently assisting the organisation by rendering volunteer services to humanity in the state.
The State branch Health Officer of the Society, Stacy Amagba, who disclosed this during a one-day Humanitarian Reporting Workshop with the Theme; Health Care In Danger (HCID), in Awka, over the weekend, organised by the Society to solicit support from the Nigerian media in reporting humanitarian issues, particularly the health sector.
Amagba, who was also the facilitator/resource person of the workshop, told the participants that it was important for journalists in the state to understand the causes of conflict before reporting it. She said that information sharing was key for Red Cross and that the organisation would not hesitate to share relevant information with the journalists in the state.
While congratulating the participants for the knowledge they had acquired, Amagba urged the government to provide more security to health facilities across the country.
The State branch Secretary, Engr. Kingsley Okoye, in his opening remarks, explained that journalists must understand the background of every conflict as well as understand what the real issues were in order to educate members of the public. He argued that the insecurity in Nigeria could only be addressed if the government and other stakeholders addressed it with utmost seriousness.
The State Communication Officer, Mr. Fidelis Ikeji, on his part, said the workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with necessary knowledge of humanitarian reporting in the state.
Meanwhile, some of the participants who spoke to News Echo shortly after the programme, thanked Red Cross Society and the facilitator for the knowledge gained at the workshop.
