NEMA says 161,000 Nigerians still in
Cameroon, Chad, Niger’s refugee camps Military combs Bauchi forests for
fleeing Boko Haram terrorists
Nigeria’s economic slowdown, compounded by Boko Haram attacks, could
mean 5.5 million people needing food aid in the volatile North-east by
next month, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has
warned.
The warning came as the National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed that about 161,000
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the North Eastern part of
Nigeria were still at various camps in three neighbouring countries of
Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
It also emerged that, as part of efforts
to end insurgency, the Nigerian Army had embarked on operations in
forests in Bauchi State in order to flush out fleeing Boko Haram members
and criminal elements in the state.
UNHCR, while issuing the warning, noted
that, as government troops advance against the militants, the somewhat
better access for aid workers under military escort to Borno and Yobe
states has exposed “catastrophic levels” of suffering and a “vast
regional crisis.”
Inflation and soaring food prices come at a time when people have little left from the last harvest, according the U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) .
Inflation and soaring food prices come at a time when people have little left from the last harvest, according the U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) .
“Because of Nigeria’s economic downturn,
the number of hungry people could double in the North-eastern states
that are already so heavily afflicted by the conflict,” WFP spokeswoman,
Bettina Luescher, told a news briefing.
“Our experts are warning it could go as high as 5.5 million people by
next month,” she said. “The drop in oil prices and sharp rise in the
cost of imported staples has compounded the years of violence that these
poor people had to suffer.”
WFP has delivered food to 170,000 people in North-eastern Nigeria, but hopes to reach 700,000 by year-end, Luescher said.
WFP has delivered food to 170,000 people in North-eastern Nigeria, but hopes to reach 700,000 by year-end, Luescher said.
It is also providing aid to 400,000 people in the three other Lake Chad Basin countries – Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, said on Thursday that Nigeria’s crude output had fallen to 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) as persistent militant attacks have taken out around 700,000 bpd.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said late July that severely malnourished children were dying in large numbers in North-east Nigeria, the former stronghold of Boko Haram militants where food supplies were close to running out. The aid agency warned of “pockets of what is close to a famine”.
Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, said on Thursday that Nigeria’s crude output had fallen to 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) as persistent militant attacks have taken out around 700,000 bpd.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said late July that severely malnourished children were dying in large numbers in North-east Nigeria, the former stronghold of Boko Haram militants where food supplies were close to running out. The aid agency warned of “pockets of what is close to a famine”.
UNHCR spokesman, Adrian Edwards, said
also that the situation remained dangerous and volatile, following an
attack on an aid convoy last month. “There have been frequent ‘hit and
run’ incidents by militants, including suicide bombings, attacks on
civilians, torching of homes, and thefts of livestock.”
Armoured vehicles and military escorts
are urgently needed to provide protection for aid workers, he said. “We
have seen adults so exhausted they are unable to move, and children with
swollen faces and hollow eyes and other clear indications of acute
malnutrition,” Edwards said
The Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammed Sani-Sidi has disclosed that about 161,000 IDPs from the North Eastern part of Nigeria are still at various camps in three neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
The Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammed Sani-Sidi has disclosed that about 161,000 IDPs from the North Eastern part of Nigeria are still at various camps in three neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
Sidi, noted that efforts were currently
being made by federal government ensure that displaced persons at
various camps both within and outside neighbouring countries return back
home safely.
He made this known on Friday at a press conference to mark the 2016 World Humanitarian Day in Abuja.
While speaking on the theme of this year’s world Humanitarian day celebration, ‘One Humanity,’ is aimed at inspiring people from around the world to demand for greater global commitment and support for the agenda for humanity, which is part of on-going communications initiated during World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey in May this year.
While speaking on the theme of this year’s world Humanitarian day celebration, ‘One Humanity,’ is aimed at inspiring people from around the world to demand for greater global commitment and support for the agenda for humanity, which is part of on-going communications initiated during World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey in May this year.
According to him, “There are still about
18,000 Nigerians in Cameroon, 26,000 in Chad and about 55, 000 in Niger
Republic, respectively. All stakeholders have been working and putting
in their best. Yes! The needs are there, we are equally working to meet
these needs on daily basis.”
Sidi said: “We have camps in Yobe,
Adamawa, Maiduguri. But, as we mark this day, I can tell you
categorically that, about 40 per cent of the camps in the North East
have been shut down.
“Twelve camps in Adamawa have been closed while six of the seven in Yobe have been shut down as displaced persons have started returning home voluntarily following the liberation of their communities by the military and the establishment of state structures.”
“Twelve camps in Adamawa have been closed while six of the seven in Yobe have been shut down as displaced persons have started returning home voluntarily following the liberation of their communities by the military and the establishment of state structures.”
He added that most of the remaining
camps were in Maiduguri where there are over one million IDPs from Borno
State alone. “We have 26 formal camps in Maiduguri but, displaced
persons in the camps in other states are voluntarily going back home as
almost 40 per cent of the camps have been closed,” said Sidi.
Continuing, he stated that just recently
and because of the successes recorded by the military, new humanitarian
challenges were coming up. Adding that the federal government was at
the process of bringing on board micro plans that will address the
critical issues of those in needs.
Sidi, however, commends the efforts of
various aid workers within and outside the country urging them not to
relent in their services to provide humanitarian support to the needy.
Meanwhile, the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi, Brigadier General, Abraham Luka Dusu, while addressing journalists at one of the forests said aggressive operations were currently going on in Lame Forest in Toro Local Government Area and Burra Forest in Ningi Local Government Area of the state to clear them of terrorists who may be hiding there.
Meanwhile, the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi, Brigadier General, Abraham Luka Dusu, while addressing journalists at one of the forests said aggressive operations were currently going on in Lame Forest in Toro Local Government Area and Burra Forest in Ningi Local Government Area of the state to clear them of terrorists who may be hiding there.
Dusu said the Chief of Army Staff,
General Yusuf Buratai, had directed the Brigade to carry out the
operations after complaints by residents of the areas that they had been
noticing movements of unidentified people with arms at the forests.
“Following many complaints and the
information we received from residents that people carrying guns have
been sighted in the forest or migrated to the state from Sambisa forest
as a result of operations there. We have commenced operations in these
forests and as I speak with you, operations are currently going on in
Lame and Burra Forests of the state to clear them of all criminal
elements.
“For the past two days operations by our
officers and men have been going on in line with the directive of the
Chief of Army Staff that the Brigade should carry out these operations
to get rid of the criminals there.
“We are going to enter all the forests in the state and any other location within the state where there are reports of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers. We have adequate troops and I will also tell you that we have air support to flush them out,” the Army Chief stated.
“We are going to enter all the forests in the state and any other location within the state where there are reports of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers. We have adequate troops and I will also tell you that we have air support to flush them out,” the Army Chief stated.
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