Party urges FG to avert humanitarian disaster in IDP camps

Mon, Aug 20, 2018 | By publisher


Politics

THE Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) has urged the Federal Government to ensure it averted the looming humanitarian disaster in the Internally Displaced Person’s (IDPs) camps in the North-East of the country.

Mr Sesugh Akume, the national spokesman of the party made the call on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos to mark this year’s World Humanitarian Day.

NAN reports that World Humanitarian Day is held every year on Aug. 19, to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.

Akume also urged state governments of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as well as relevant agencies of government at both levels to set their priorities right.

According to him, the welfare of the people remained the primary duty of government.

“ANRP decries the looming humanitarian disaster in the distressed North-East Nigeria

“The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) also known in English as Doctors without Borders), has reported that between Aug. 2 and 15, 33 children died of acute malnutrition in Bama IDP Camp.

“Six thousand people are currently sleeping in the open without protection from heat, rains and mosquitoes.

“The reported conditions of IDPs in Bama are the general condition of IDP camps in Borno and other states in the North-East,’’ he said.

Akume urged that officials who were found diverting resources allocated for IDPs be brought to justice as a deterrent.

“Both the Federal Government and the states have misplaced priorities in allocating resources for IDPs.

“It will be recalled that in 2016, the immediate past secretary to the government of the federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, had overseen the misallocation of N270 million intended for IDPs to be used in clearing grass in IDP camps in Yobe State, as the IDPs were dying and their humanitarian conditions getting worse.

“There have also been repeated cases of abuses like sex-for-food and other abuses, any of which have been hardly investigated and offenders brought to justice.

“This ugly trend has continued till date. In this and many other cases no offender is brought to justice,’’ he said.

Akume expressed gratitude to the humanitarian workers at the various IDP camps in the country for their continuous delivery of aid, care and relief to persons in need.

“The party recognises the work of humanitarian workers everywhere they may be delivering aid, relief and care to those in desperate need, in the process being targeted, and prevented from helping others, and in many cases losing their lives.

“Their sacrifice is very much appreciated, and their labour shall never be in vain,’’ he said. (NAN)

– Aug. 20, 2018 @ 18:55 GMT |

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