UN Calls for Reassessment of Issues on Displaced Persons

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The United Nations (UN) has called for reassessment of approaches to securing durable solutions for the forcibly displaced in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world.

The call was made in Abuja at a workshop on ‘Advancing Durable Solutions Pathway’ sponsored by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Speaking at the event, the UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Chanda Kapaya, noted that the purpose of the workshop was to address the pressing challenges of internal displacement and support reintegration of self-organised refugee return in Nigeria’s North-eastern region with special focus on Adamawa State.

Kapaya, who was represented by the Assistant Representative, UNHCR Nigeria, Mr. Gilbert Mutai, lamented that over the past decade, the number of internally displaced persons worldwide has doubled, reaching a record high of 55 million.

She said: “In 2021 alone, conflict, violence, and disasters triggered a staggering 38 million internal displacements across 141 countries and territories, as reported by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).”

“With no immediate solutions available for the vast majority, displaced communities have been forced to live for generations without the ability to plan for their future or exercise their human rights. The persistence of these crises calls for a reassessment of our approaches to securing durable solutions for the forcibly displaced,” she added.

According to her, as a result of intertribal clashes and natural disasters millions of individuals have been displaced in the North-east with Borno having 1,640,408 individuals and Adamawa and Yobe having 223,910 and 151,366 respectively.

She noted that in Adamawa State with the establishment of government-led mechanisms such as the Durable Solutions Steering Committee and the Technical Working Group on Durable Solutions, has created momentum to advance solutions for the displaced and their host communities.

Kapaya said that UNHCR’s pilot project, the Labondo Local Integration Project in Adamawa State, is one of the initiatives that exemplifies a multi-sectoral, area-based approach that prioritises community empowerment, sustainable housing, socioeconomic development.

“As we move forward, ensuring the sustainability and scalability of these initiatives is crucial and will require the expertise and financing of development partners,” Kapaya stressed, adding that “Through our combined efforts we can build upon the progress made so far and ensure that the project continues to improve the lives of those in need.”

Meanwhile, the Adamawa State Government said it was almost completing the process of closing its internally displaced persons camps.

The Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Mohammed Amin Suleiman, said the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has given a nod for the closure of the IDPs camps, explaining that they could be closed any moment.

He however expressed appreciation over the contributions of UNHCR on issues concerning accommodation for the IDPs, stating that the collaboration with Adamawa State Government UNHCR have brought smiles on the faces of many displaced persons.