By
In
response to the humanitarian crisis among the
internally displaced persons in North East, Nigeria, writers from different
beats – Health, Judiciary, Human Rights and Life and key United Nations
agencies held a parley to ameliorate their sufferings.
The
event brought together experts under the auspices of the UN Systems – the World
Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) and International NGOs (INGO forum) to provide updates on roles each is
playing in assisting Nigeria rebuild the NE.
They
observed that humanitarian interventions in reconstructing the devastations in
NE Nigeria, will require a whooping one billion dollars in 2018, UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA, Nigeria) has said.
The
fund is needed to meet some of the needs of about 6.1 million people of 7.7
million in dire need of humanitarian response in the region.
It
was a two-day dialogue tagged: “The Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East:
Taking Stock and Looking Ahead.”
Samantha
Newport, Head of Communications OCHA, in her presentation,
noted that nine years of conflict in the NE have caused a humanitarian crisis
of massive proportions.
“Hence,
in 2016, the Government of Nigeria asked for international support; and by 2017,
14 million people in the North East had needed life-saving assistance in Borno,
Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe”, said, Newport.
However,
Jubril Shittu, said; “continued insecurity prevents us from reaching 900,000
people. We do not have access to them. The situation keeps changing,
people keep moving and it’s difficult to plan ahead.
“Also,
renewed attacks on returnees in parts of Borno and Yobe States may affect full
realisation of recovery and reconstruction unless optimal attention is given by
Federal Government to secure the region”,said Shittu.
Also
speaking during the media dialogue, Abdullah Umar of the UN Refugee Agency
(UNHCR) noted that though the agency’s mandate handles immediate emergency, in
principle, it doesn’t discriminate, pick sides in conflict, don’t get involved
in politics and it is independent.
Habib
Kori, UNFPA Media Specialist, was worried over how her agency would realise
maximum needs to protect the dignity of women in IDP camps from environmental
violence.
“Gender
Based Violence in IDPs affects all women and girls and issue of protection is
mostly the prerogative of government which cannot be compromised at all”, said
Kori.
The
health life threatening situation of the displaced persons in the NE needs
urgent and optimal support, Jorge Martinez, Health Sector Coordinator, MoH/WHO
noted.
According
to Martinez, “more than 50 per cent of the health facilities in the NE are
still damaged or non-functional.
“There
is a very strong need to strengthen Surveillance in the health sector response
especially in Trauma and Primary Healthcare, severe and acute malnutrition
(SAM), epidemic prone diseases such as Polio, malaria, measles, acute
water diarrhoea among others,” Martinez said.
The
Health sector coordinator disclosed that the WHO would need $109.5 million in
funding in 2018 to meet the health requirements of 5,123,196 displaced persons
out of the 7,884,933 million who actually need help.
Comments
Post a Comment