NEMA Begins Rehabilitation Of IDPs In North-East
FILE PHOTO: NEMA officials distributing relief materials to victims of terrorism in liberated communities in the North-East[/caption]
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that the liberation of most of the communities in the North-East from the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, coupled with the massive return of Nigerians from the Republics of Cameroun and Niger have changed the humanitarian outlook from emergency relief intervention to rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of the affected persons and communities.
The Director General of National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani Sidi disclosed this at African Union Regional Consultative meeting for West Africa for the development of a common African position on the World Humanitarian Summit held in Abuja at the weekend.
Sidi said the agency in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies with the support of the UN System had undertaken damage and loss assessment of the affected communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and had made submission to the government for appropriate intervention by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
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He noted that the humanitarian outcome of the insurgency has impacted some North Eastern states to include Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau and Taraba as well as the neighboring Republics of Niger, Chad and Cameroun.
Sidi said there were about 57,743 Nigerian refugees in Cameroun, Chad and Niger, with Cameroun having 40,366 who were taking refuge in Minawayo, Mora, Fotocol, Limani, Amchide, Douala, Kentzou and Garoua Bouali refugee camps; 15,000 in the Republic of Niger who were taking refuge in Diffa, Bosso, Maine and Kablewa, and 2, 377 in Chad taking shelter in Ngouboua, Lake Chad region.
The Director General however lamented how about 12,000 Nigerian refugees were expelled by the Camerounian authorities and dumped at the border while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR was watching.
“I expressed my concern to UNHCR when Nigerian delegation went to Chad, Niger and Cameroun for assessment of the condition of Nigerian Refugees which was misconstrued as forceful evacuation by UNHCR,” said the NEMA boss.
