UN to support Borno return 1.8m IDPs into communities
Tada JUTHA, Maiduguri
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The Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths has said that UN agencies are to ‘assist and return’ 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno.
According to him, the humanitarian community is, however; overwhelmed with the people’s dire needs to restore their destroyed livelihoods.
Griffiths made the pledges, yesterday (Thursday), when the UN delegation paid a courtesy call on Governor Babagana Zulum at Government House, Maiduguri.
Members of the delegation are in the State; to interact with people to assess the state of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps.
“I’ve the opportunity today in Bama to talk to many IDPs and the military at its base,” he said.
He added that during the interaction the people confirmed the strategic importance of the UN support for the state government to return IDPs to communities.
“Our partnership for support is something which we do out of duty and responsibility within the Bama case.
“We do it out of the commitment with the knowledge that events are improving each year for the people.
“I saw this today in Bama,” he declared, noting that this does not happen by chance.
He said the support of policies and efforts of the State Government will restore peace and prosperity.
Continued; “This happens by authority, commitment and wisdom,” including resources that could overcome the challenges of humanitarian assistance and return of about two million IDPs to their communities.
“These are privileges to be part of our processes,” he noted, stressing that the UN agencies should continue to earn each year as they go forward.
Lamenting the incessant attacks, Griffiths said: “These are people we’ve seen in Bama.
“Victims of conflict are directly affected, with lives being lost; and in some cases destroyed by the non-state actors.
“They are innocent victims of wickedness and depravity of those armed groups.
“We’re returning this society to a place where families can depend on letting their children go to schools and ensure their livelihoods.”
He declared that peace is as much a part of community life as is development.
According to him, the role of the UN was to provide aid assistance and support the people return to communities.
He said these could be achieved through political leadership, development assistance, economic prosperity and good governance for the future of Nigeria.
While responding; Zulum wanted the main root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency that claimed many lives and property in the state.
He attributed terrorism to infrastructural deficits, climate vulnerability and increasing poverty in the state.
The Governor; therefore warned that ‘durable and sustained solutions’ are neither cheap nor easy to restore people’s dignity and destroy livelihoods.
