President Muhammadu Buhari has called for more concerted and institutionalised effort in ameliorating the suffering of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Africa.
In his remarks at the 16th African Union Extra-ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Humanitarian Crises in African and Pledging Conference, holding in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, President Buhari said more than 5 million people had been displaced in the Lake Chad region, with 70 percent of them mostly Nigerians.
President Buhari said the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria caused by Boko Haram, necessitated the creation of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, which was designed in line with the Kampala Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons.
He told the gathering that the Ministry had continued to live up to its mandate in responding quickly to all situations of displaced persons and disaster management.
The President said the ministry also broadened its scope of operations by caring for deprived school children in the country, while carrying out a compulsory school feeding programme in primary schools across the country.
“Through the ministry, government established Internally Displaced Persons camps in every part of the country for refugees, returnee migrants and displaced persons, where food, shelter, clothing, medical care and other livelihood support were provided for all displaced persons.”
He said his administration had also introduced a Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme, whereby a monthly cash transfer was made to the very poor and vulnerable in the society.
President Buhari welcomed the establishment of an African Union Humanitarian Agency to cater for the growing needs of displaced persons and refugees.
The President thanked the African Union, government and people of Equatorial Guinea for providing the platform for leaders to deliberate and address pressing issues confronting the continent.
President Buhari noted that the world was being confronted by emerging threats, such as Climate Change, resulting in global warming, rising levels in waters, in some climes shrinking of rivers and lakes, leading to distortions in aquatic and consequently ecological systems.
While pledging three million U S dollars for the take-off of the African Union Humanitarian Agency, the President also appreciated the Specialised Technical Committee for their hardwork to produce the statutes.
The African Union Chairman and President of Senegal, Macky Sall, pledged three million US dollars on behalf of his country, urging other African leaders to contribute to the establishment of the humanitarian agency.
The AU Chairman said the rising challenges of Climate Change, natural disasters and terrorism had made it mandatory to set up an Agency that would meet the needs of displaced Africans.
The President of the host country, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, pledged 4 million US dollars, with two million dollars for the new Agency, while two million dollars would go to Mozambique.
BELLO WAKILI
