RETURNING THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED BACK HOME

Everything should be done to ensure the communities are safe and secure

A former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged the federal government to support the Borno State Government in resettling and rehabilitating the internally displaced people (IDPs) who have been out of their communities for more than a decade due to the Boko Haram insurgency. He made the appeal at a Christmas luncheon he organised in collaboration with many of the victims. But the challenge of internal displacement goes beyond Borno State. Nigeria is credited with the third highest number of IDPs in Africa – a continent that is reputed to have the largest number of IDPs in the world.

While authorities in the country plot how to return these victims back to their communities, it is important that special attention be paid to many of the camps. There are reports of people sleeping outside in the open while others are in extremely overcrowded places, making their conditions dire, harsh and critical. The number of IDPs is also on the rise. It is estimated that 1.8 million people, of which women and children, constitute 87 per cent are affected by the continued widespread insecurity and hostilities in the country.

We acknowledge the limitations of government, given lean resources. But we must find ways to ameliorate the problems of the most vulnerable in the society. Apart from massive food shortages, the victims are imperilled by several risk factors. Dislodgement of populations, and resettlement in makeshift locations create atmosphere of overcrowding, economic and environmental degradation, poverty, lack of safe water, poor sanitation and waste management. All of this promotes communicable diseases and make life unbearable for the displaced citizens. There are also reports of the startling abuses to which women and girls are subjected in the camps.

We appeal to all critical stakeholders to help tackle the diminishing quality of life in the IDP camps where the rate of mortality and malnutrition is unacceptable. Government, donor agencies and NGOs should also address the cases of low rate of vaccination in the camps amid allegation of shortfall in intervention by corresponding agencies. There are also health and other issues. Some of the people in these camps suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders. Many children born in the camps do not have access to education, placing their future at risk.

The dire situation of the displaced persons is amply captured in a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which stated that “The vulnerable host populations are in critical need of humanitarian interventions that include food, water, sanitation, protection, education, shelter and health services.”

The challenges arise probably because of the ineffectiveness of the several agencies of government saddled with the responsibility of soothing the pains of the IDPs, and massive corruption. After all, it is known that relief materials meant for the IDPs have been diverted to the open markets for sale to the public by officials of government. Also notorious is the fact of misappropriation of funds meant for the relief of the displaced persons. By diverting scarce resources meant for the most vulnerable of our people, life is being made increasingly difficult for them. This challenge must be addressed.

The federal government needs to ensure that resources being deployed to help the poor and vulnerable of our society are not being misappropriated by a few persons in positions of authority. The authorities must also work to restore lasting security to the communities so that they can return to pick up the bits and pieces of their lives.