The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Internally displaced persons (IDPs)

  • NHRC trains MDAs on caring for IDPs in northeast

    NHRC trains MDAs on caring for IDPs in northeast

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has organised a special training for personnel of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with catering for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in parts of the north.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day training is being organised in collaboration with the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Jos.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs. Oti Ovrawah, NHRC Acting Executive Secretary, said that the training was part of the commission’s steps to safeguard the interest of the IDPs.

    “We want to effectively monitor the humanitarian situation in the IDPs’ camps; we want to ensure that they do not suffer,” she said.

    She said that the trainees would be tutored on how to draw government’s attention to the humanitarian situation in the camps, and ways to respond to the needs of the IDPs and make them less vulnerable.

    “They will also be trained on how to package requests to government and attract prompt response,” he said.

    Ovrawah said that the training would avail MDAs working in project states the opportunity to synergise and strategise for better result.

    NAN reports that the training drew participants from Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, and Yola in the North East, and Benue in the North Central.

  • Yobe acquires 1,000 hectares for IDPs, procure N38m farm implements

    Yobe acquires 1,000 hectares for IDPs, procure N38m farm implements

    The Yobe Government, says it has cleared 1,000 hectares of land to re-engage over 500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into farming.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Mustapha Gajerema, said this on Thursday in Damaturu, while inspecting newly procured farm implements.

    He said that the government had procured tractor spare parts, tyres, plough discs, thrashers and other equipment worth N38 million to boost agricultural production in the state this cropping season.

    Gajerema said that the government would provide the IDPs with improved seeds and fertiliser to support their efforts to engage in food production so as to boost the state’s food security and economic recovery.

    He urged the IDPs to use the opportunity, which the government had provided for them, to facilitate their economic recovery and rehabilitation.

    He said that the refurbished tractors would be deployed to every part of the state to serve the people.

    “Agricultural production is the major occupation of our people; government will support the people with every necessary input to promote agriculture in the state.

    “This administration is giving agriculture a very high priority and will support both rain-fed and irrigation farming activities in the state,’’ he said.

    Gajerema urged the management of the state Agricultural Development Programme to ensure the proper use of the equipment, while remitting of all the revenue accruing from it into the government coffers.

  • IDPs: Human Rights Commissions trains stakeholders on protection mandate

    IDPs: Human Rights Commissions trains stakeholders on protection mandate

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commenced training for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) with protection mandates for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in North East and North Central.

    At the launch of the training on Monday in Yola, the acting Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mrs Oti Anukpe, said it was in collaboration with UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

    She said “this training is one of the key components of IDPs/Protection project of NHRC in partnership with UNHCR in monitoring and reporting the situation of IDPs in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

    “The objective of the project is to monitor the humanitarian situation in the project states with the aim of gaining comprehensive insight into issues concerning IDPs and
    returnees for government and other humanitarian actors to advocate and respond to their needs and reduce their vulnerability.”

    Anukpe said that the training would facilitate MDA’s ability to respond and to deliver the desired humanitarian response with respect to protection issues and to provide  platform for MDAs with protection mandate to synergise and strategise.

    THE scribe explained that within the past two years of implementing the project, the commission and its partners realised the need to bring other stakeholders in the protection sector on board for efficient response to humanitarian needs nationwide, particularly in the project states.

    She commended MDAs participating in the workshop for availing themselves the opportunity to build their capacity in humanitarian assistance.

    She also lauded UNHCR for its sustained support to the project.

    Various representatives of MDAs and concerned organisations were in attendance.

    Representative of Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) said the workshop would go a long way in uniting actors in the field toward achieving common goal of protecting the vulnerable one in the society.

  • Borno records 3,000 births in IDPs camps in six months

    Borno records 3,000 births in IDPs camps in six months

    The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Monday said it registered 3,000 births among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the past six months.

    The SEMA Chairman, Satomi Ahmad, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

    Satomi said that the births were registered at various camps located in the state capital between January and June.

    He explained that the birth records showed significant increase in view of the high number of couples staying at the camps.

    He added that “we recorded 3,000 births among IDPs in the last six months. The mothers were supported with drugs and reproductive kits.”

    The SEMA boss said the agency was working in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Health to support expectant mothers and enhance reproductive health management in the camps.

    The chairman said SEMA had provided ambulances to enhance referral services and reduce mortality.

    Earlier, SEMA said it registered 13,000 births in IDPs camps in the past four years.

    It also said that it helped the mothers and babies with food items, nutritional supplements and dresses for the new born.

  • Create policies to minimise IDPs’ trauma -Don

    Create policies to minimise IDPs’ trauma -Don

    A lecturer with the University of Ilorin,Dr Biola Adimula, has called on government at all levels to evolve policies that would minimise the trauma and hardship facing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Adimula, who lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, made the call on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

    The don said that the displaced persons, majority women and children have emotions, ambitions, feelings and aspirations like every other humans and they rely on the rest of the world to come to their rescue.

    Adimula, also a lawyer with specialisation in Gender, Refugees and IDPs studies, called on government organisations and the international communities, to employ more proactive measures to minimise conflicts, thereby minimising displacement rates.

    ”From the records of the UN, the UN High Commission for Refuges (UNHCR), European Union, and development agencies across the globe, more people than ever before are currently displaced by conflicts emanating from political instability, terrorism, ethnic conflicts and bad governance.

    ”And more than 65 million have been driven from their homes, sadly, this is more than the populations of Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo, Netherlands, Liberia and Switzerland combined,” she said.

    Adimula also called on the private sectors to galvanize efforts in combating the refugee crisis globally.

  • ECOWAS to set up solidarity fund to rebuild North East

    ECOWAS to set up solidarity fund to rebuild North East

     

    Mr. Edward Singhatey, the Vice President, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission says that plans are on-going to establish a solidarity Fund for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the North-East.

    Singhatey made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during the celebration of the 2017 World Refugee Day with the theme “We stand together with refugees and IDPs”.

    He said the Solidarity Fund was in compliance with the decision of the Mediation and Security Council to support the Federal Government’s Plan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of North-East Nigeria.

    He said that the humanitarian crises in the insurgency affected states of the North-East was enormous, adding that it was constantly being assessed by the ECOWAS Commission.

    Singhatey said that the dire situation in the North-East deserved special attention, adding that it had necessitated the international community and ECOWAS Commission to engage in several interventions.

    He said that the ECOWAS Commission, working with partners had donated one million dollars’ worth of food items to support the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 300,000 dollars for Nigerian refugees in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

    The ECOWAS Commission vice president said that it also donated 400,000 dollars for the support of affected communities in the North-East.

    According to him, a recent statistics by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates over 65 million out of the eight billion worldwide population are refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs.

    Singhatey said that the African region represents about 30 per cent of the total number of refugees worldwide with a record of 180 million refugees as at 2016.

    He said that in West Africa, displacement and sufferings were caused by conflicts and other natural and human made causes.

    Singhatey said that failing to address the situation of refugees and other persons of concern amount to inviting adverse consequences for the environment.

    He said that the Commission’s Department of Social Affairs and Gender leads the humanitarian works with the goal of a borderless, prosperous and cohesive region with the capacity to effectively prevent and mitigate conflicts.

    He said the goal was also to limit the impact of conflicts and disasters on citizens and residents with a view to achieving human centered development.

    Singhatey said that the commission would continue to support the efforts of the Nigerian Government in assisting refugees, IDPs and other persons of concern.

    Also speaking, Mr. Jose-Antonio Canhandula, UNHCR Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS tasked Nigeria to join the new approach, which he said was the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.

    He said that the framework was already being piloted by other African countries, including development actors and private sector in Chad, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda.

    Canhandula, however, said that UNHCR was working with various partners to foster the protection of refugees and IDPs, to collectively seek ways to increase support to the government in assisting people.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion was attended by Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning.

    Others present were Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, the Federal Commissioner, NCFRMI, humanitarian actors and the refugees and IDPs who displayed the wares they made from various skills acquisition programmes.

  • ASUU calls for more help for IDPs in North East

    ASUU calls for more help for IDPs in North East

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to help donate food items toward the survival of the many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East.

    The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the appeal while presenting food items donated by the Bayero University Kano (BUK) chapter of union to Gov. Kashim Shettima for the Borno IDPs at the Government House in Maiduguri.

    The items donated included bags of rice, millet, sugar, spaghetti, cooking oil, among others.

    Ogunyemi said that the gesture was aimed at addressing food problems among the IDPs.

    He said that the union was touched by the conditions of the IDPs who had lost almost everything in life.

    “We in ASUU feel for our people and we are sincerely concerned on what is happening in terms of survival level of Nigerians today.

    “The ordinary people are finding it difficult to earn a living, talk less of our compatriots in the IDP camps,’’ he said.

    “In view of that, we have encouraged our members all over the country to start thinking of a way to intervene in order to bring relief to the IDPs.

    “What we are witnessing today is like a start off of the programme, one of our branches have started and I want to assure you that other branches will pick up too.’’

    Ogunyemi urged Nigerians, especially wealthy individuals and philanthropists to also mobilise resources toward helping the IDPs.

    Receiving the items, Shettima, who was represented by the Borno Head of Service, Alhaji Bukar Yakubu, thanked the union for the gesture and urged others to emulate them.

    The ASUU team was also at the Goni Kachallari IDP camp in Maiduguri where it distributed the items among displaced persons.

    Speaking at the ceremony, the ASUU, BUK Chairman, Dr Ibrahim Barde said that the items were purchased from monthly donations by members of the union.

    “We decided to tax our members through a monthly contribution. Today, we have been able to raise enough to buy these food items,’’ Barde said.

    He said that the object was to alleviate the suffering of the IDPs and expressed hope that the intervention would help alleviate the sufferings of the people in no small measures.

    “We hope to ginger others not only from the North but from the entire country to help,’’ Barde said.

    Barde said that the donation had also shown that ASUU had a human face.

    “ASUU is an association of intellectuals and most people used to see us as an association always fighting government.

    “This is to show that ASUU has a human face,’’ Barde said.

  • World Refugees Day: FG promises more welfare for IDPS, Migrants

    World Refugees Day: FG promises more welfare for IDPS, Migrants

    …UNHCR laments condition of refugees

     

    The Federal Government on Monday promised that it will continue to make provisions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and migrants precipitated by crisis in the various camps scattered across the country in line with mandate and principles of international protection.

    The assurance was given by the Federal Commissioner in charge of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Sadiya Umar Farouk while presenting food items to inmates of the refugees camp in Nyanya Gwandara, Nasarawa State as part of activities to mark the World Refugee Day.

    June 20 is marked as World Refugee Day.

    As part of activities to mark the day, Farouk led ‎representatives of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the camp.

    Farouk said that the aim of the visit was to empathize with refugees and IDPs who have found themselves in circumstances not pleasant for humanity.

    She urged Nigerians and all individuals to take a moment to remember all those affected, assuring them that they are not forgotten.

    She said “The National Commission for Refugee, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons will continue to play its role in accordance with its mandate and principles of international protection.”

    The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jose Antonio Canhandula lamented the condition of the refugees which he said was caused by no fault of theirs.

    He called on the international community to show solidarity with the refugees predicament.

    Also in her remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, Dr Fatima Diasow ‎assured that ECOWAS was doing everything within its powers to curtail the disturbing incidence of conflicts across the region.

    Diasow, who was represented at the occasion by Mr Alozie Amaechi, assured that ECOWAS was willing to partner with UNHCR and other world bodies to address the sufferings of citizens caught in conflict situations across the region.

    The spokesperson of the refugees, Germaine Ukumu commended Nigeria for the show of love and provision for stranded African refugees, despite competing demands on lean resources owing to the government’s engagements in the fight against terrorism.

    She said “Whoever gives a refugee a cup of water or shelter has done mighty before God. We here there are over 50 million refugees in the world today, and more troubles are taking place to force more people out of their countries into exile.

    “Now, there is a new trend, the IDPs syndrome that has occupied ‎the attention and resources of the federal government of Nigeria in recent times due to terrorism. Despite all that, Nigeria has continued to show large heart to stranded Africans and refugees,” she said.

     

  • 818 refugees arrive Banki amid inadequate humanitarian intervention

    818 refugees arrive Banki amid inadequate humanitarian intervention

    About 818 Nigerian refugees on Saturday arrived in Banki, Borno State amidst inadequate humanitarian interventions compounding the huge gaps in humanitarian needs for the refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    This is made known in a statement by Mr Hanson Tamfu, External Relations Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Sunday in Abuja.

    The UNHCR official disclosed that the 818 refugees include 151 male adult, 146 female adult and 521 children.

    He said that the refugees had added to the influx of Nigerians who returned to the country in the past weeks.

    He said that the influx would compound the yawing gaps of needs already overstretched in catering for IDPs including shelter, food, core relief items hygiene kits among others.

    Tamfu said that the UNHCR had taken urgent steps to address the challenges as it had informed the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food for the new arrivals.

    He said that the agency had also discussed with the military to provide firewood for cooking and discussed with the Borno State Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (MRRR) to set up emergency reception tent.

    He said that the refugees would be kept in the tent pending completion of the reception centre this Wednesday.

    Tamfu said that the WFP had promised to look into the possibility of providing dry food ration immediately and the military was undergoing serious screening of the returnees.

    He said that UNHCR and partners were monitoring other urgent needs that might arise.

    He said that a quick survey indicated that water was available in the camp, the condition of the returnees was stabl.

    Tamfu added that some of them came with food rations and were already looking for means of cooking, especially those fasting.

    It will be recalled that between April 9 and May 22, a total of 12,202 Nigerian refugees returned spontaneously from the Minawowa refugees’ camp in Cameroon.

    The main areas of return are Banki, Pulka, Gwoza and Bama in Borno State.

    UNHCR had expressed worry over the influx of the refugees explaining that the return was sudden and without adequate preparations on ground to cater for the refugees.

  • FG urged to probe Bakassi resettlement programme

    FG urged to probe Bakassi resettlement programme

    The Coalition of Bakassi Indigenes has called on the Federal and Cross River Governments to probe the activities of Bakassi Resettlement Programme Committee set up in 2008.

    The group made the appeal on Tuesday in Bakassi, Bakassi Local Government Area, while briefing newsmen on the condition of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Ekpikan camp.

    Dr Ani Esin, the Coordinator of the coalition, said the committee set up by the Federal Government after the signing of Green Tree Agreement in 2008, had become obsolete and were no longer working for the interest of the Bakassi returnees.

    “We thank the Federal Government for its usual response to the plight of our displaced brothers and sisters through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.

    “However, we are calling on the federal and state governments as well as the international community to institute a full scale inquiry into the Bakassi Resettlement Programme headed by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa and its activities from inception till date,’’ he said.

    According to the group, a proper investigation into the activities of the programme would give both governments the clearer picture of the hardship the IDPs were going through.

    The group further stated that the call became necessary following the worsening conditions of the IDPs despite huge commitments by both the state and federal governments through their agencies as well as donor organisations.

    “We believe that a full scale probe will reveal a lot of things because our people are suffering so much in the camp. Our brothers and sisters are dying daily.

    “Their conditions are, to say the least appalling, despite all the laudable efforts and inputs by the government and partners to alleviate their sufferings,’’ the group said.

    The coalition also appealed to the federal government to establish a special commission for Bakassi affairs to take care of all issues concerning Bakassi including issues of citizenship; resettlement and reconstruction.

    “Our brothers and sisters who chose to go with the Republic of Cameroun are doing better; each time we visit them on the other side, we think whether we have made mistake by opting to remain in Nigeria, due to the way we are being treated. Something needed to be done very urgently,’’ he said.

    The group also appealed to government agencies and other donors to always deal directly with the refugees in the camp who will feel the real impact, rather than going through any intermediaries.

    The coalition is reacting to recent controversy over alleged diversion of some relief materials given to the Bakassi IDPs by the National Commission for Refugees by some politicians in the area.